The Meaning of Power
by kori kaoru himura
Summary: Canon to the Clear Card Arc. As Sakura's power grows and a new enemy threatens her, Sakura must embark in a new journey in Hong Kong joining the Li Clan for support in fighting this new battle. With new challenges in between, Sakura will learn of her own strength and the meaning of love and friendship.
1. The Premonition

**The Meaning of Power**

 **Summary:**

Cannon to Clear Card Arc. As Sakura's power grows and a new enemy threatens her, Sakura must embark in a new journey in Hong Kong joining the Li Clan for support in fighting this new battle. With new challenges in between, Sakura will learn of her own strength and the meaning of love and friendship.

 **Disclaimer:**

None of the characters in the story belong to me. This story is based on the anime/manga with a spin from my own imagination and not for any lucrative purposes.

 **Background information:**

This story picks up after the anime/manga Clear Card Arc. Akiho is still present, the cards are still clear, there are new cards being captured and so on. I have changed a few things here and there to make sense in my story but otherwise the past is essentially the same and any discrepancies with turn of events are covered so the reader can follow the plot easily.

 **Author's Note:**

This is my second language so please be forgiving of my English. Also, this is my first fanfiction so the quality may not be the best. Constructive criticism is welcomed.

 **Chapter 1**

The Premonition

"Sakura, wake up!" I could hear Kero calling for me as I came back to my senses, a sudden headache making itself present.

"Kero? What's going on?"

"Your father, he has been calling for you, it's getting late"

I looked at the clock above my bed with surprise, I was never a morning person, but it was unusual for me to sleep this late, it was almost midday, I must have slept over 12 hours straight, yet I continued to feel tired. I got up as quickly as I could, thanking Kero while I dressed and came down the stairs shortly after to meet with my father who was waiting for me in the kitchen table while staring lovingly at the picture of my mother.

"Good morning mom, dad!" I said, noticing there was a heavy atmosphere as I stepped in, confused by it yet smiling to make my father happy. He smiled back at me and gestured for me to sit down and share a meal. Apparently, he had been waiting for me to eat, despite how late it was.

"Where is Touya?" I asked while I drank some water and grabbed my chopstick ready to eat.

"He is at work, he took an extra shift this weekend. Are you feeling well Sakura? You were sleeping for a long time..."

"Sorry dad! No, I am feeling great, I went to bed late, I am sorry about that!" I lied, but I could tell he was still unhappy with my answer.

"I see... well, I have to return to the university this afternoon, but I will be back tonight, can you make dinner for us? Your brother is inviting Yukito over and I need to talk with you both about something"

I resisted the urge to ask more questions as I felt the worry in my father's voice and just nodded knowing I had to be patient but unable to calm the anxiety that was making itself present. We finished our meal in silence and shortly after, my father left for work.

Today was Saturday, the weather was warm and inviting. We had just welcomed spring and a new school year was about to start next month so vacation was in full swing. I decided to take a walk and do some shopping for today's dinner. I was so distracted thinking of what to make while cleaning up the kitchen that I barely missed the sound of the phone ringing in the background. Kero came down the stairs with my cellphone in hand complaining that I was too scatterbrained for my own good. I took the phone as quickly as I could not even checking who the caller was.

"Hello?"

"Sakura, how are you? It's Syaoran" My heart melted hearing his voice.

"Syaoran! Sorry, I was not expecting your call, I am fine how are you?"

"Listen, I am sorry I have not been in touch lately, I didn't have time to call before, you see, my mother made a surprise visit to Japan and we have been taking care of a few things here"

"Your mother? How nice, please send my regards to her!" I chirped, a vague memory of her invading my mind, a smile playing on my face at the thought.

"Well, she has actually made a sudden request, I am sorry for the short notice, but she wishes to meet with Keroberos, Yue and... you"

"Ohh..." That's all I could say, I was taken by surprise with the request, I knew Syaoran's family knew of my powers and the cards but it was an odd request no matter how I looked at it. I started to feel nervous, I had not seen his mother since the time I traveled to China a few years back.

"I know it's sudden but this is important" He was nervous too, I could tell.

"Yes, that's fine, when should we meet?"

"Now, if that's okay, I am afraid the issue at hand can't wait"

"I understand. I will have Kero find Yue. My father and brother are out today, we could meet at my house if you would like"

"We will head that way soon, sorry Sakura" With those last words the call ended. Kero was staring at me with a curious look. Now I was completely sure something was wrong, and I could not help but worry, I had a bad feeling about this.

"Kero, I need you to bring Yue here now"

Kero did not even question why, he flew out of the window knowing by the tone of my voice something was wrong and left in search of the guardian while following his magical presence.

I needed to keep busy to keep my nerves on check, so I focused on tidying up the house instead. I put some water to boil for tea and tried not to think about what it could be Syaoran's mother wanted to talk to me about. It was close to 30 minutes later that I heard the doorbell ring and hurried to let my unexpected visitors in. Yelan was in front of Syaoran, dressed in traditional Chinese attire just as I remembered her. She smiled at me when she caught me staring, marveling at her beauty.

"Sakura-chan, it's so nice to see you again, you have grown to become a beautiful young lady"

I blushed, thanking her for the compliment while politely moving away to let them in. I looked up to Syaoran whose expression was quiet. I led them to the sitting area and offered them some tea which they took politely.

"The guardians?" She asked and I could tell the conversation was to start soon.

"Kero is getting Yue to come, they will be here shortly"

"I see, I am sorry to impose on you in such short notice, but you see, the matter at hand can't wait any longer. Do you remember what my power does Sakura-chan?"

I hesitated for a moment, thinking back to the night she had helped me by warning me of dangers she could foresee and helping me pass through the magical well while we were in China. Somehow, the question made sense and the answer left my lips without thinking.

"You can see the future"

"Yes, as a direct descendent of Clow Reed I have such gift and with the Li Clan's resources I have some important information we must discuss. You see, I am sure you have noticed how your power has grown while your body grows weaker"

I knew what she meant, I could sense things that Syaoran could not. I could see the past even when I had not tried to. Kero was tired all the time and so was I. Yes, I had noticed. I had the feeling that something was off for close to a year now with odd things happening more and more often.

"People with great magic can do many things but it all comes with a price. I have seen it, you cannot longer control your magic, it's hurting your body and if we don't do anything about it, you could die."

I dropped the tea cup I was holding. I knew something was wrong, but I never thought it was this bad. I could tell she tried to tell me the news as calmly as she could but I sensed the worry in her voice and noticed Syaoran clenching his fists as she said it.

"What can I do?" I asked, almost in a whisper, surprised Yelan heard me.

"I am afraid I do not know the answer just yet, but I know what we can do to buy us time. You must go to China to receive proper training and learn how to control your power. You also need a place where you can use it freely to keep your power balanced."

"China? Training?" I held by head, feeling a headache coming.

"Yes, it's imperative that you learn to control it and also use it often so your body can release its power instead of destroying your body. This will give us time to find another alternative. Besides, I have seen it, your destiny is in China with the Li Clan so that is the place where you are destined to go"

I blushed, understanding the meaning behind those words and also afraid for the fate that awaited me should we don't find a solution.

"When should I go? How long will I be gone? My family..." I had so many questions coming to my mind.

"Sakura-chan, it is not fair of me to ask this of you, still so young, barely 14 years old. I know the news I brought today are difficult to understand" she stood up, approached me affectionately and hugged me tight. I had barely noticed I had tears in my eyes as I was processing this information. I was scared. Very scared.

"The Li Clan will protect you. You will not be alone. Your guardians should come too. Your family will be fine that I promise, and believe me or not, they will understand." She gave me another smile that was able to calm me down and I nodded, understanding the seriousness of the discussion and knowing full well difficult times awaited me.

"We should leave as soon as possible, I will handle things from here and let you know when we are all ready, as to how long you will be gone I can't say that for sure but it will be awhile. You should talk with your family, I am sure they will understand"

I understood then, this was not going to be a quick fix. We were interrupted by Kero and Yue coming in from the window, Yue with a serious expression on his face.

"Keroberos, Yue. Thank you for coming. I am aware my presence is unexpected but as you have noticed, Sakura's power continues to grow at an immeasurable speed. The Li Clan wants to help and we think Sakura should undergo training to manage her magic and have the opportunity to use it more often so her body can release it. As you know, many great sorcerers are in China, descendants of Clow. We need Sakura to go train there under our care and you both of course, as guardians and protectors should come as well."

"Who do you think you are, taking Sakura away? I bet that kid just wants her to himself, I will show you..." Kero was having a massive temper tantrum, upset at the prospect of me leaving.

"I understand" Yue interrupted "I am aware of the gravity of the situation. As her guardian I will go." He said no more, Yelan nodded in polite agreement and this was all it took to leave Kero speechless. After some time of solemn silence, Kero finally spoke.

"Of course I will go too, I will never leave Sakura alone!"

"Very well" Yelan said while standing up to take her leave "I will be in touch and Sakura-chan... everything will be fine" She gave me another warm smile. I wondered if my mother would have smiled the same way if she were here, there was something about her that reminded me of mother. Could it be a mother's touch?

My thoughts were interrupted by their departure, Syaoran following his mother on the way out while glancing at me for a moment.. Once they left, I collapsed in the couch not knowing what to do, still processing the conversation.

"Are you okay Sakura?" Kero asked, still worried.

"Yes, I am fine, I just don't know how to tell dad about this... and leaving everyone behind..."

"Mistress, I need to leave, Yukito needs to meet your brother soon"

"Yes, of course, thanks Yue"

"Cold as ever!" Kero said once Yue was gone "What are we going to do Sakura? We still don't know why the Sakura Cards became clear and why there are new cards, and your dreams..."

"There is definitely something big going on but I also have a feeling that the answers are not here" I had been thinking about this over and over. I felt like something evil was approaching and I needed to find out what it was. I was having dizzy spells more often, and I could see that person looking down on me, sending shivers to my core.

I went about my day, trying not to think so much about the events that happened that afternoon. I prepared some dinner and when I was almost done I heard the door open. I welcomed Touya and Yukito from the kitchen and soon they made their way there as well.

"Smells good Sakura-chan" I heard Yukito praise.

"You don't have to lie Yukito, don't you know monsters can't cook"

I instinctively tried to slam my foot on his foot in anger but Touya was faster than me and moved his foot at the last minute resulting in me painfully hitting the floor.

"Brother! I told you I am not a monster, jeez, and my food is good, if you don't like it don't eat it, more for Yukito and me!"

"Fine, fine! You can cook... sometimes" he laughed, I let it go and kept myself busy. Yukito and Touya helped set up the table and shortly after we heard dad come in as he had promised. Once dinner was ready and served we spoke for some time, laughing and talking like we usually did until dad got serious and asked to speak to us, Yukito included.

"It's been awhile since we were all together like this. I know we have all been busy so thank you for making time for this. I have been meaning to talk with you all about something not knowing when the right time was but unfortunately, I don't have much time left. You see... I have been in touch with Yelan Li and I was informed that Sakura is needed in Hong Kong"

"Dad..." I attempted to interrupt, not knowing what to say, not wanting to tell my secret but somehow wondering if he already knew.

"It's okay Sakura. There is much I don't understand and a whole lot more I need to learn. This decision did not come easy, as your father, my only wish is to keep you safe and make you happy. I cannot longer keep you safe Sakura... I don't have the power to do so but the Li family can so I must ask for you to go where you can be safe"

I was in shock at what I was hearing, unsure of how much he knew, my thoughts interrupted by Touya.

"I can keep her safe dad, why are you sending her away?"

"I am afraid you both know this is bigger than us, I cannot longer turn a blind eye to this. There is a reason why I am an archeologist, seeking to understand the past... seeking to understand Clow Reed"

I gasped, I could not believe he knew that name. Touya looked surprised too, did he know?

"Yes, I know. I had been warned of the future. Touya, you have also seen a glimpse that I know... and Sakura, your dreams are trying to tell you too." He paused for a second, not at all surprised by our confused faces before continuing "No, I do not possess any magic but your mother...She was the one who had it, who gave you your gifts."

"Dad, you knew? All this time?" Touya declared, accusation in his voice. Confusion still etched in my face. I guessed Touya may know of Kero in the past but his reaction and the declaration he had power surprised me anyway.

"Yes son, I did. Nadeshiko has not left, she watches over all of us and sometimes speaks to me, of you, of your quests. As a father, I fear every day, for your safety, for your fate. Yukito-san, I am afraid I know of you too and I thank you for protecting my daughter"

Yukito was suddenly surrounded by wings and Yue came out without further ado. Nobody looked surprised and Yue remained quiet as he appeared.

"Keroberos, come on out too" My father asked and Kero came out from my bedroom, I guessed he had been eavesdropping.

"It's nice to finally meet everyone formally. Thank you Keroberos for protecting my daughter too. Now it is my hope that no more secrets are between us and that we unite as best as we can to fix this as a family"

"Dad, I am sorry... for not telling you about this" I said, feeling guilty for hiding such a big secret from him. "I didn't want to put you in danger..."

"It's okay, I understand. This is how it was meant to be"

"Dad, is mom still here? I have not seen her in years" My brother asked.

"You can see mom?" I asked, confused and surprised

"Not anymore, I used to when I was younger, she was always watching over you Sakura" I teared up hearing that, I missed my mother very much and lately I had an urge to see her more than ever, even asking the Record card to show me a past where she was happy in her grandfather's house. Did I see her too that day? I wondered...

"To answer your question, yes sometimes I can, but not always, only when it is important" Father continued, interrupting my thoughts "She had the same power as you Touya, she told me so many times before, seeing things nobody else could."

"Didn't it bother you?" Brother pressed clearly wanting more answers.

"No, I love her" My father replied with a smile.

"Brother, if you can see mom, can you see other spirits too?"

"Yes" He declared and said no more. He knew I knew about him giving his powers to Yue, but I did not know they had returned as he now was saying. We all fell silent for some time trying to understand what had just taken place.

"I will go with her" Touya broke the silence "I will not leave her alone"

"I understand, I think that should be fine. I will talk with the Li family to arrange for this as well."

With that said, the night ended and the next day we were informed we would leave in a week's time. The next week passed by as quickly as it had come, we were all busy with preparations for the move and I spent almost every day of that week together with my best friend Tomoyo. She was sad about my departure but remained strong as she promised we would keep in touch. Because we were on a school break, I did not see the others. Before I knew it, the week ended and so I left with Yelan Li, Syaoran, Kero, Yue and Touya for Hong Kong. It was hard saying good bye to my father that day, but if he was sad he chose not to show it, instead he encouraged me to succeed in my training and to be safe from the challenges coming ahead.


	2. The New Home

**Chapter 2**

The New Home

The flight was not as long as I remembered it. Perhaps when you are younger time seems to pass more slowly. I was happy to do this with the people I love, knowing I was not alone yet afraid of the unknown. We left early morning and were there by late afternoon. Wei, the Li family's butler, was waiting for us at the airport. He had brought a car big enough for us to ride in and drove us to the Li mansion, where we were to stay during my training. Wei was as polite as I remembered him and seemed genuinely happy to see me but even more excited to see Syaoran. I knew they were close and it brought happiness to my heart to know Syaoran will be with his family this time.

We drove for about an hour, moving away from the big city until we reached the mansion. As soon as we arrived, we were greeted by Syaoran's sisters who were fussing over Yukito, my brother, Syaoran and me. I almost missed her in the craziness of the moment but once I heard her voice I knew exactly who she was.

"Nihao Sakura-chan, Xia Lang" Meiling greeted with a smile.

"Meiling! I missed you, I am so glad you are here" I told her, truly happy to see my old friend. She had visited Japan the year prior but only briefly.

"I am happy to see you too. I do not live with aunt Yelan but I wanted to stop by and see you as soon as I found out you were coming!"

"I am in your care" I told her with a smile. I could not help but feel happy. I hoped with all my heart that we could get past this situation and remain in this moment for as long as possible. Kero was happy to be able to come out and be himself while we were here but the liberty to move about was short-lived... as soon as he saw Meiling he started picking fights with her. Meiling was not faced by it and returned each insult as quickly as she received them. I think deep down they liked each other and this was the way they showed it (albeit not the healthiest).

Yelan cleared her throat and got everyone's attention. It was obvious Syaoran's mother was the leader of the family and she was respected by all of her children and extended family. Yelan gestured for me to follow her and took me inside the house showing me around once more and leading all of us to our bedrooms.

My room was spacious and had a bathroom inside. There was a big bed in the middle of the room, a desk and a chair in one corner near a window with a small balcony leading to the courtyard, and a television hanging from a wall on the opposite end with a sitting chair and a small table in front of it. I had never had a room this big to myself and I could tell someone had decorated it with my taste in mind. The sheets were a soft pink color and the room had Japanese decorations all over, perhaps to make me feel at home. I was thankful for the hospitality.

"I like this room Sakura, the bed is big enough for me too!" Kero said excitedly flying from corner to corner exploring the room.

"I am afraid this room is for Sakura-chan only, Keroberos" Said Yelan "She is a young woman after all, she needs her own privacy"

"I will have my own room, yippy! Videogames all night" Kero seemed to be okay with it so I ignored the sadness threatening to get to me at the thought of being completely alone in this room, I had never been alone after all.

"Yes, it's right next to Sakura's of course, as her protector. You can share your room with Yukito-san if you would like or we can arrange for a separate room for each of you"

"That won't be necessary, Li-san, Yukito and I will be sharing a room but thank you for your hospitality" Touya said politely, Yelan nodded in understanding while Kero yelled how happy he was that the Li family knew how to treat him with the respect he deserved after all. My brother and Yukito were then showed to a different room some doors down from my room.

"Sakura, I have to meet with my mother soon, let's meet up some other time, maybe we can have a sleep over?" Meiling asked, sensing my worry about being alone in that room. I nodded and thanked her as I watched her leave.

"In the opposite side of this floor are our family quarters, you can come and go to any other areas as you see fit. From today onwards, this is your home. I have some business to take care of now, if you need anything please feel free to ask any of my daughters, my son, Wei or the staff." Yelan concluded.

We all bowed in respect as she left. Syaoran told me he needed to take care of something as well and he told us to rest and get acquainted with the house. He reminded all of us that dinner would be served at 7 pm in the main dining room and after ensuring I did not need anything, he left as well. We all returned to our assigned rooms to organize our personal belongings, to rest, and to freshen up before dinner.

In truth I was thankful for the time to rest, I was very tired. I had captured a new card a few days ago and my strength was leaving me. The card "Mirror" had not put up a fight but sealing it drained me for some reason. I had 20 cards so far and I wondered if there were more missing still. I fell asleep before I knew it and I didn't wake until I heard a soft knock in the door. In my sleepy state I just managed to say "come in" before thinking and with surprise I saw Syaoran approach me slowly, worry visible on his face.

"I knew you would be sleeping, you looked very tired on the way here, did you get some rest"

"Yes, I am sorry I fell asleep, what time is it?" I started to look frantically for a clock, hoping I had not been asleep for long.

"It's 10 o'clock"

"I am sorry, how rude of me, I missed dinner didn't I?"

"We didn't want to wake you up, we knew you were tired so don't worry. Are you hungry? I brought some food for you" He glanced to the table near the door and I could see a tray with some food.

"Thank you" I blushed. He fetched the tray and brought it to the bedside table while I sat down. I was feeling very hungry as I had skipped lunch due to feeling nervous about traveling.

"Mother wants training to start as soon as possible, I will help you and train with you as well" Syaoran smiled, giving me some sense of calmness, I was very nervous about this training I did not know much about, but knowing Syaoran was by my side made me feel more confident.

"What does this training entitle?" I asked, still wanting more information. I had not seen Syaoran or his mother after they came to bring me the news in my home a week ago and until leaving Japan, so we had not been able to talk until now.

"Magic feeds from many things. From our emotions, our power, our strength. You will train in meditation to control your emotions, magic using the new cards, casting spells to help control your power, and martial arts to increase your physical strength."

"What about school?" We were supposed to start our 8th grade in Japan this school year but with our sudden departure I was unsure if academics were still on the table.

"It was decided we will be tutored here at the mansion and that you will have additional classes to learn Chinese"

"Makes sense" I said while I ate, taking it all in.

"I am sorry Sakura, I know you miss home, and your father. If you ever need anything, no matter how small, talk to me, okay?"

"Okay, but you too"

Syaoran was surprised by my statement, he did not know I had noticed, but I had. I knew very well he was hiding something since his return to Japan, probably to protect me.

"Sakura, I am sorry for holding back. I didn't want to scare you, I just wanted to find a way to protect you. If I could find a solution without worrying you..."

"It's okay" I interrupted him "I know that, I knew something was wrong, but I also know I am not alone. Let's rely on each other from now on, no secrets? Please" I pleaded, not wanting to be weak anymore.

"No secrets" He reluctantly agreed "I suppose you want to know what has me worried?" After I nodded he continued "You may not know this but there are several clans and organizations around the world just like the Li Clan with families of sorcerers. One such organization is located in England and our information states a powerful sorcerer was expelled from it for stealing a very important magical object. Hiragizawa was investigating more about it, thinking this sorcerer may be connected to what has been happening. This sorcerer is very powerful and good at protecting himself, so we still don't know what he took and for what motive. Being expelled from an organization like that one is a big deal. We believe he may be after you, because you have a lot of magic which may help him in some way."

I gasped, finally grasping the seriousness of the situation "You think the cards are his doing?" I asked.

"No, at first I thought so but now it's clear to me that the person behind the cards is none other than you"

"Me? What do you mean? How could I?"

"Sakura, your power is growing so much you are unconsciously making cards, just like Clow did on his time except that he consciously did so"

"Unconsciously? That's impossible!"

"Your power is growing at immeasurable speed, when you think of something or worry about something, your power is attaching itself to objects and places and makes cards. It is no coincidence that they resemble the Sakura Cards, cards that mean so much to you" It made sense, but it was hard to take in, I never thought I could do such a thing.

"How do I stop? What about the Sakura Cards?"

"We still don't know everything. We think that teaching you how to control your magic will help with the creation of new cards. As far as the Sakura Cards, perhaps it is a curse or a seal, we are still investigating. China is the safest place for you right now, especially with this new sorcerer in the picture, our home offers magical protection and we are here to protect you too"

I knew Syaoran wanted to make me feel better, take my worries away. I was thankful for the gesture and for his honesty, but the information mixed with my tiredness, emotions, and all the changes that were about to take place got to me and before I knew it I was crying. Syaoran held me in his arms until I calmed down, he made me lay down in bed as a new wave of tiredness overtook my body and kissed my forehead good night before taking the empty plates in the tray and leaving the room.

That night I dreamed of my Sakura Cards. It was bittersweet. I missed my friends, I was happy to see them again even if only in this dream. Sadness shortly overtook me knowing that they were lonely, slowly dying. I knew I needed to be strong. For my family, for my friends, my beloved cards and myself. I needed to believe in my invincible spell now more than ever so I told myself "Everything will be alright" before the dream ended.


	3. The Training

**Author's note:**

This chapter has a filler chapter at the end. The second part which is clearly marked is for fun and giggles and does not play in the plot necessarily so if you wish to skip it is fine too.

 **Chapter 3**

 **The Training**

For the first time in a long time I was awake early. Probably due to the fact that I slept most of the day the previous day. I glanced at the clock and noted it was 5:30 am. The sun barely rising in the window. I took a shower, brushed my teeth and got dressed. By the time I reached the dining room table for breakfast it was nearly 7 am, it had taken me some time to remember where this room was but after a few tries I had successfully found it. To my surprise everyone but Kero were already eating breakfast.

"Good morning" I said with my usual smile to everyone who was already seated, they returned the morning greeting in good spirits.

"I am sorry about yesterday" I apologized to the Li family, bowing profusely to Yelan as the head of the family. She gestured for me to sit down before speaking so I took a seat next to Syaoran who gave me an encouraging smile as I approached, still feeling nervous for some reason.

"Do not worry Sakura-chan. Please have breakfast with us, you must be hungry." She told me. I nodded in agreement and started making my own plate from the various dishes sitting in the middle of the table. We were all eating in silence, no doubt still getting used to all the changes when Yelan spoked to me once more.

"I know it's too soon but I want to ask that you start training today. I have arranged for tutors in each subject that I picked myself for this purpose. Today it will be a bit of a late start, but starting tomorrow, your training will be from 6 am to 4 pm every day except Sunday. Dinner will be served each day at 7 pm. You can do as you wish outside of training times and on Sundays. Is this acceptable to you?"

"Yes, Yelan-sama. I am in your care" I said with the upmost respect I could muster. I knew very well what it was in stake and I was very thankful to the Li family for their help.

"Very well, I trust Syaoran will take care of you from now on, I am often away from home but please let us know if you need anything"

Breakfast continued normally after that. As expected, Yelan was the first one to leave followed by her daughters. As far as I knew, Fuutie worked with her mother as the eldest sister, Shiefa and Fanren were university students and Feimei was starting her last year of high school. Touya told me he was going to be away from the house that day with Yukito and left after some time as well.

Once I was done eating, Syaoran took me to the family library. This was a splendid room that felt bigger than my house in Japan. Many bookshelves adorned its' walls and went beyond what my eyes could see. Chinese artefacts could be found along with the Li family crest all over the room. A big table was in the middle with several chairs placed around it. I had a _deja-vu_ feeling looking at the library, thinking of my friend Akiho and the time we saw each other in her home with a library so similar to this one. Sadness overwhelmed me for a moment as I was thinking of my friend who I had not been able to say goodbye to, hoping she was doing well.

Syaoran showed me our schedules that Yelan had put together. I glanced at them as quickly as I could trying to memorize it all. Early mornings were for mediating for an hour, followed by school work, magic training and then martial arts. Glancing at the clock I figured schooling would be first. Sure enough an older man entered the room. He was tall yet his back curved a bit showing his age. He wore glasses and had a long silver beard. He greeted us politely and introduced himself as Wong-sensei. He explained he will teach us academics and asked us to take a seat in a long table in the middle of the room. He placed several books in front of us and started teaching us in Japanese.

I was quite nervous as academics were not easy for me but Wong-sensei was very kind and patient and his explanations were easy to understand. We worked on several subjects for a number of hours until I heard my stomach grumble in embarrassment. Wong-sensei stopped his lesson at the sound and glanced at the big clock hanging from a wall near us.

"Oh my, look at the time, it's eleven already. It's lunch time, I shall take my leave. I will see you both tomorrow" He picked up his books and left.

Syaoran and I made our way back to the kitchen were our lunch was awaiting, he asked if we could eat outside and enjoy the nice day which I gladly agreed to. We ate together, talking and laughing and even if just for a moment, this all felt normal. Once done, we went back to the library as he told me we would learn about magic next, I was expecting a new tutor to be there but no one was in sight. Seeing my confusion Syaoran broke the silence.

"I will be your teacher for this class, at least until you learn the basics" He smiled at my surprised face, I was not expecting this at all. He sat me down and picked a few books from the library, then he started to tell me the principles of magic and its history. I was surprised the books he had picked had so much information about Clow. Syaoran just told me that as descendants of Clow, he left a lot of his legacy to his descendants from generation to generation and consequently, the Li family had many of his teaching in their possession.

I was amazed at what I was learning. When I had been told I would learn about magic I figured I would use the cards the most, but I was surprised to learn there was a lot of useful information I needed to learn first such as techniques to channel power, protection charms and divination. The information was very interesting and once again we lost track of time. Syaoran closed the book we were reviewing suddenly as a way to conclude the lesson and asked me to use one of my cards later today to build a bond with the cards and to gain practice. Then he asked I go change and put athletic clothing on for our next lesson. I did as he had asked and met him in the courtyard south of the house as he had instructed me. Wei was there with Syaoran and our martial arts lesson started shortly after. By the time it was over I was exhausted, but I felt happy nonetheless, after all, I loved sports and I mastered the basics fairly quickly to Wei's surprise.

I went back to my room, took a shower and put comfortable clothing on. I was very tired by then but I knew I had one more class to go to: Chinese. What I did not expect was for Yelan to be the one teaching it. She sent for me and I met her in her office. She dedicated one hour to teach me the new language. At first I was afraid of making mistakes or upsetting her but she treated me kindly and I started to build a trusting relationship with her. When it was 4 o'clock she concluded her lesson and dismissed me.

I decided to take a stroll outside while I waited for dinner. I was marveling in the beauty of the gardens, trying to relax from the long day when I was interrupted by a voice I knew all to well.

"Sakura! I miss you!" I heard Kero call for me in the distance and before I knew it he was already holding on to my neck.

"I missed you too Kero, what have you been doing?" He looked a little embarrassed while he answered "Well you see, I was playing this new game and lost track of time last night, so I slept all day instead! Hehe"

"Oh Kero, you need to help or do something, we don't want to be impolite"

"I am sorry Sakura, I will help more, I promise"

I laughed slightly knowing Kero helping was almost impossible, then I told him about my day and what I had learned. I was surprised to know how much I had missed being with my companion. He proposed we do the homework together, at least the one related to magic so I released my staff and stared at my cards. It was true I needed to strengthen my bond with them just like I had done before with by beloved Sakura Cards. I picked "Flight" mainly because to me it was very friendly and familiar, so I called upon it. The card responded to my call and came forth.

"Thank you for all your help Flight and for showing me the beautiful skies"

The card moved a bit signaling its understanding and moved closer to me in anticipation. I positioned myself in response and the card took flight in excitement, Kero following closely behind.

Instead of me directing the card, the card was the one taking the lead. It took me past the mansion high in the sky, the wind touching my face. I felt alive and happy. We cruised the sky for some time before making our way back, enjoying the sights of the never-ending forest we had briefly seen a distance away from Syaoran's home. When we returned the card seemed very happy, I thanked it and it returned to its card form. With my spirit renovated by the little adventure, we went inside the house just in time for dinner.

During dinner I found out that Touya and Yukito had gotten jobs at a restaurant some distance away, they were set in helping with expenses despite Yelan assuring them that it was not necessary. Surprisingly, dinner time felt similar to the dinners I had shared with my father and brother back in Japan. Everyone had been so welcoming and kind. Even though I missed my father and my friends, I knew I would be okay.

 **Chapter 3.5**

 **The Li Sisters**

"Sakura! Wake up!" I heard Fuutie call for me, I woke up to the four Li sisters staring down at me, making me jump in surprise.

"It's okay Sakura-chan, it's just us girls today, it's finally Sunday!" Shiefa winked at me.

"It's a girls day out Sakura-chan, we are going shopping" Said Fanren

"I am not good at shopping" I declared, still waking up and a bit scared at the enthusiasm coming from the Li sisters.

"You didn't bring enough clothes with you, plus we need to get to know each other better" said Feimei with a smile.

I was tempted to disagree, already having a scary flashback to previous shopping trips with my dear friend Tomoyo and the many bags she filled with clothes before I left Japan but before I could try to say anything along those lines my thoughts were interrupted by Shiefa.

"Get dressed Sakura-chan, we have a long day ahead of us"

The girls walked out of the room to wait for me to get ready. I was a bit worried but did as asked and got dressed choosing a simple yet comfortable soft yellow sun-dress with matching shoes. I met with the sisters downstairs and as soon as they saw me Fanren and Feimei grabbed me each by the arm and led me outside.

Fuutie jumped in a red car parked on the side of the house and gestured for the women to follow. She drove us to the city and to the shopping district where they enjoyed giving me clothes to try on and made a fuss about how the items looked on me. They bought me so many dresses, skirts and tops I was sure I could not fit them all in the closet. I pleaded to no avail that I did not need the clothing but they insisted, reminding me of my dear friend Tomoyo who was sure to be upset of my shopping spree without her.

As I grew to know each of the Li sisters, I found Fuutie was very friendly and energetic. Shiefa was stubborn and direct. She always expressed her opinion and liked to lead her sisters. Fanren was very feminine and I could tell she put a lot of effort in her looks, in some ways reminding me of Tomoyo with her high sense in fashion and her constant reminders to look good. Feimei was the youngest and she was happy sitting down and seeing everything unfold around her. She did not speak as much which in truth suited me well.

After shopping we drove to a restaurant to have lunch together. The Li sisters appeared to be very well known there as the owner welcomed them personally and gave us a private table in a separate room. We ordered delicious Chinese food and I was praying I was off the hook until Fuutie stopped the conversation cold and looked at me.

"So... Sakura, you and our little brother are dating?" I turned red, yes I knew it was coming sooner than later, apparently Kami was not listening to my prayers today although I must admit it was a miracle in itself that they had not ambushed me in the first 6 days I had lived in the Li's home.

"Hoe!... I... no, I mean yes?"

"What is that supposed to mean? I have seen you two together... of course you are, why the hesitance?" Asked Shiefa, confused by my vague answer.

"Well... I suppose we are, we don't really talk about it..." I answered, still embarrassed.

"That's young love for you" said Fuutie. "Syaoran is lucky! he found you so soon. Us on the other hand have not been as lucky" She sighed with a hint of boredom.

"Talk for yourself only Fuutie, that's what you get for being so picky! I on the other hand, have found a few nice men along the years" said Fanren, mocking Fuutie in the process.

"Shut up Fanren, you are only playing the field, but we are talking about real love here" Answered Fuutie without missing a beat.

I was happy the sisters were arguing because at least their attention was off me, that was until Shiefa stopped the argument once more and continued interrogating me.

"Enough of our old ladies' troubles and back to Sakura-chan. Have you kissed yet?"

I never knew I could get this red before until today. I was beyond myself with embarrassment and unable and unwilling to answer when Fanren interjected "of course she has, she is 14 years old, right Sakura-chan?"

Never mind, the world is definitely against me today! I struggled to form any coherent sentences at this point. Feimei, the youngest of them noticed my discomfort and took pity on me as she chided her sisters "You are making Sakura-chan nervous, it's clear she does not want to tell us"

"But we want to know" Wined Shiefa "Love is magical after all" She winked at me while saying this "Sakura-chan obviously needs our help, with Syaoran being as dense as ever all the more!"

"It's okay Sakura-chan, we will help you with Syaoran! As your sisters this is our duty!" Claimed Fuutie and I could swear I could see the fire burning in her eyes. Yes, today was definitely going to be a long day.

...

I don't know how I did it, but I survived the day with the Li sisters. As soon as we got back, carrying a ridiculous amount of bags full of clothes I escaped to my room. For the first time since moving to China I was thankful that Kero had his own room as the silence and peace were very much needed.

I played some music, laid down in my bed and tried to relax but every time I closed my eyes the image of Syaoran would appear in my mind and I would blush, a trace of the embarrassing conversations with his sisters playing again in my mind.

It was true we had had more time with each other than we had ever had before. We lived together, took classes together and spent most of our free time with each other. After dinner I would choose to take a walk outside the gardens (this becoming one of my favorite pastimes nowadays) and he would always go with me. I could feel our bond strengthening with the pass of each day, and more importantly, the feeling of knowing there were no secrets between us anymore.

As I was relaxing I heard a soft knock on the door and knew immediately who it was. I called for him to come in and Syaoran opened the door slowly closing it behind him carefully as he entered the room. He sat next to me on the bed before speaking, clearly wanting me to enjoy a moment of peace.

"I am sorry" he said, and I knew exactly what he was referring to.

"It wasn't your fault, I was actually surprised they resisted a whole week before the kidnap" I said with a laugh and a bit of a shudder at the memory of the events of that day... and the uncomfortable conversations more precisely.

"I tried to persuade them to at least take you out one or two at a time instead of all of them together but failed miserably. I hope it wasn't too bad..."

"They were nice, they reminded me of Tomoyo times four" we both laughed at the similarity and relaxed in each other's presence.

"I came to get you for dinner, you hungry?" He asked.

I nodded, suddenly becoming aware of my hunger, especially after such tiring day. We walked together to the dining room and as soon as I stepped in the room I was greeted with a huge "Happy Birthday" coming from everyone including Meiling who had come to celebrate with me, banners and balloons decorated the room and of course a strawberry cake sat at the center of the table. With everything that was going on, I had completely forgotten today was my birthday.

"Surprise!" yelled Fanren with a huge smile on her face "Syaoran and Wei put the whole thing together while we were out, neat is in it?"

"Of course, thank you so much everyone, what a nice surprise... to tell you the truth I had forgotten today was my birthday" I confessed, a bit ashamed at my own forgetfulness.

"Nonsense" declared Shiefa "a young's maiden's birthday is very important, come here, open your presents"

"Presents? Didn't you all give me a LOT of clothes today?" I asked surprised, while emphasizing the fact that we had just purchased enough clothes to last me a whole year.

"Those don't count Sakura-chan, now open our gift first, it's from Shiefa, Fanren, Feimei and me" said Fuutie with a wink that did anything but comfort me. I was handed a box that was a bit heavy. Three books were inside and a notebook. I inspected the books carefully marveling at how old yet well taken care of they looked. The notebook looked like a diary and had a key to secure its contents.

"Those books were handed down to us from our father. You know my sisters and I have no magic, but those books are still important and will help you with your training" Shiefa said, with a hint of nostalgia in her voice as she remembered her father. I read the title of the books one by one: "Astrology & Magic", "The Power of Emotions", and "Ancient Li Spells" the titles suggested ways to improve my magic and I was thankful to receive gifts with so much meaning.

"Don't forget the diary Sakura-chan, you know... to write any secrets" Fanren said in that tone of voice that always made me shiver, now I understood what the wink was about. I blushed without thinking just by remembering our conversation during lunch earlier that day yet again.

"Thank you!" I told them and they hugged me tightly.

"Our present is next" Yukito said as he approached me with a small box in his hands "From your brother and me, happy birthday Sakura!" I opened the box with curiosity and found two matching hair combs in a turquoise color with a flower design in them, they were beautiful.

"Those match your eyes monster" Touya told me affectionally and despite of the insult, I still hugged him and thanked him along with Yukito for the gift.

"There is one more... from dad" He said and handed me another box carefully wrapped in white paper with a red ribbon. A white jewelry box was inside it, decorated with cherry blossoms all around it. It was beautiful, I opened it in awe and to my surprise a soft melody played.

"It was mom's...from when she was your age, dad kept it for you" Touya told me as I listened to the melody.

I could not help the tears that escaped my eyes after hearing that, making this present the more special. "I will treasure it" I promised him.

Meiling interrupted the moment, not at all happy with the emotional turn of events "It's a birthday celebration you know? You should be all smiles and giggles. Here, take my present"

Meiling shoved a small bag into my arms. Inside it was a keychain in the shape of a star, similar to the one adorning my staff. I was not sure how she had found it but I was thankful yet again for the thoughtfulness of the present. She hugged me and showed me a similar key chain in her phone "so we can match!" she concluded with a smile.

"Sakura-chan" Yelan called to me "There is one more present, from me and Syaoran" I turned to her in surprise as I felt I had already received plenty of gifts. She placed another box in front of me and opened it for me. Inside was a golden necklace with an emerald in the center, the Li crest visible in two smaller jewels in each side of it. It was simple yet elegant and a beautiful piece. Yelan gestured for Syaoran to get closer and he grabbed the necklace from the box, got behind me and secured it on my neck carefully. I blushed at his touch while hearing his sisters smirk at one another at the scene.

"This necklace belongs to the Li family. Everyone that sees it will now you are part of our family. The necklace is my present but the spell is from Syaoran" Said Yelan.

"Spell? What do you mean" I asked.

"I have put a protective spell in this necklace. If you are ever in danger, it will protect you with my magic" Syaoran told me. I did not know he already had such power, to make such a complex spell that could save my life if it need be.

I was touched by everyone and I thanked them profusely. It turned out that Wei had made the cake (which was delicious). We had a small feast and enjoyed the celebration together. Kero was beyond himself enjoying the sweets and singing to himself.

My father called me that night to wish me a happy birthday. He listened patiently as I recalled all the events of the day as well as the touching present I had received, his included. Tomoyo also called and she even sent me flowers to the Li mansion.

I was happy, today had been a very special day. So that night, when Syaoran walked me to my room and bid me good night, he whispered "Happy 14th Birthday Sakura" and kissed me softly on my cheek, at that moment I did not think I could be any happier than this.


	4. The D is for Doyen

**Chapter 4**

 **The "D" is for Doyen**

I dare say training was going very well. Kero had joined us for some lessons in magic and martial arts and despite the relationship between Syaoran and Kero being as poorly as ever, I was happy with the progress we were making. Dad called once a week to check on brother and I. Brother and Yukito worked a lot and were rarely home. I had a feeling brother was hiding something from me but I had not had the opportunity to ask him about it yet.

Tomoyo messaged me often telling me she would come see me during the next school break and that she had been working in more customs for me to try on when she got here. The routine felt familiar much sooner than I had expected, so much so that I almost forgot the danger bestowed upon me. That was until in one of our daily strolls, Syaoran got quiet and asked that we talk.

"I have some news for you. I have been in touch with Hiragizawa, he is coming in a few weeks to help"

I was happy to hear I would see an old friend but worried about the significance of the trip.

"Is everything okay?" I asked, concerned.

"I had an idea of who the sorcerer who may be after you is, he has been intercepting communication with Hiragizawa to keep him away from you but Hiragizawa was able to break the spell briefly to find out where we were and help... however, we think our enemy also knows where you are so we need to be prepared"

"He? Who is he?"

"We think it's Yuna D. Kaito" he paused. I recognized the name right away, my eyes opened in disbelief.

"Akiho?" I asked, worried for my friend.

"Yes, her guardian. I am not sure if Akiho is involved in this mess or not, but I knew the name when you introduced us that day... he is a powerful sorcerer after all, the thing is that he never hid his true identify so I was unsure if he was behind any of this until now. His sudden appearance in Tomoeda worried Hiragizawa so he investigated him with the help of the Li Clan. We had been in touch with one another until Hiragizawa made the connection that Yuna D. Kaito was the sorcerer expelled in England. We still don't know what he wants but it's clear now that he is after you"

"I don't understand... what could he possibly want from me?" I asked, trying to recall my brief interactions with the butler but noticing nothing of concern. Akiho had been present while I created and captured cards in various occasions under the spell of the Snooze Card so I did not think she had anything to do with this.

"We think perhaps your cards... or even worse... your magic is what he is after. It has to have a connection with the magical object he stole, but we don't know what that object is to help us figure things out"

I knew it was possible, to take someone's magic away completely. I knew of brother and Yue although for some unknow reason brother had just recently gotten back some of his power. If he took my power away what would happen to Kero and Yue? The Sakura Cards? The New Cards? Panic overtook as I thought of the possibilities.

"Is he more powerful than Eriol?" I questioned, hoping for a negative answer but already suspecting the truth.

"No... He was bestowed the "D" title only given to those of great power. The "D" is for "Doyen" in English, making him the master of power in England. Hiragizawa heard he uses an ancient type of magic, very dangerous but effective when used right. He caught up to the fact we knew he was after you and severed communication between all of us to separate us but Hiragizawa broke through the spell to locate you. We will have a meeting with the Li Clan when he arrives to come up with a plan"

"If he is that powerful, how can we stop him?"

"Don't worry Sakura, we won't let him touch you. We will figure something out." Syaoran tried to reassure me but I could tell he was scared too.

"I will train hard, I promise" I told him, knowing a new battle will start soon.

From that day onwards, I dedicated every single day to training, even the days I was supposed to rest. I made it a point to use at least 3 clear cards daily and I read the books Syaoran's sisters gave me before going to bed in an effort to learn as much as I could. I found the books quite interesting as they spoke of which powered spells could be strengthen by each month and each season or how I can use strong emotions to increase impact in my magic. Although the concepts were hard to grasp, particularly as I did not like to fight, I knew this was a necessary evil, especially as I learned more about my enemy.

In one of our magic lessons, Syaoran had explained to me that our enemy had been bestowed the D title in his society which indicated he was the most powerful among them. This meant that I needed to be prepared, but I also needed all the help I could get. His magic was ancient and difficult to master. Syaoran had confided in me that he was also learning techniques created by Clow to increase his magic but they drained his energy more quickly so he had been studying on his own too to find ways to balance the power inside him to allow him to use more powerful spells more freely.

As for me, using the cards every day proved effective. I was no longer subconsciously creating any more cards but the stress of the situation we were in caused a different kind of problem. I noticed I was tired more often, no doubt due to the use of the cards. I was also more irritable and angry than usual. With my focus fully in training, I was no longer the same Sakura I was a month ago. I could tell Touya, Yukito, Kero and Syaoran had noticed, with them being closest to me. I started to isolate myself whenever I could, I was having trouble controlling my emotions and whenever anyone confronted me about it, I would deny anything being wrong and push them away. I didn't want to tell them about my fears and worries, or about the dreams that still haunted me after a dizzy spell. I didn't want to worry them. Since I no longer shared a room with Kero, keeping all of this a secret was easier. The truth is that the dizzy spells came more and more often, the same dream threaten me almost daily.

One night I was studying one of my magic books on my desk, practicing channeling my emotions into a charm without success when I was interrupted by a familiar knock in the door. I ignored is as I had done for the past few days, but the door opened this time despite my lack of response, breaking my concentration once more.

Syaoran entered the room, closed the door behind him and sat on my bed, directly behind the desk I was working on.

"Sakura" he said softly, trying to gain my attention "what is wrong? And please don't tell me there is nothing going on when I can clearly see there is... I am worried" he finished, sadness etched in his voice catching me by surprise.

I sighted, closed the book and made my way to the bed to sit next to him. I could not look him in the eye for some reason, I felt so vulnerable at that moment.

"I don't know... I wish I could tell you, I wish I could see myself as easily as I see you, like I told you, that day..."

I knew he remembered that conversation, although it had been interrupted by the clear card Mirror. This was the best way I could explain how I was feeling, I had started to lose myself.

"I see you clearly Sakura' he approached me and hugged me tight from behind as he whispered these words, knowing better than myself this was what I needed. 'I see the worry that consumes you slowly, the pain and the anguish you are feeling... but I also see the love you have for all of those surrounding you, the ability to persevere, the strength inside you... You don't need that mirror Sakura because I will always be by your side, reminding you of who you are"

"Syaoran... I can't do this, I don't want to put anyone in danger, my family, my friends... it's just not fair, will this ever end? Will there be peace awaiting us in the end? Is this my destiny?" I cried as I spoke those words, the questions that have been in my mind for some time now finally being spoken out loud, unable to control the overwhelming feelings consuming me.

Syaoran felt the desperation in my voice, he moved the chair so I was facing him and held my face in his hands to make eye contact with me.

"The path for those with magic is not an easy one but you will never be alone. I will make sure we find peace, that I promise you" Then I saw him smile at me and all my insecurities, my fears and my anguish seemed to disappear, if only for a moment.

"Sakura. I love you" he whispered and he kissed me softly on my lips. I was not expecting it but somehow the kiss sealed this promise and for the first night in a long time, I felt at peace, with renovated hope that the future will be brighter.

Unbeknown to us the enemy was coming closer with each day waiting for the right _time_ to strike.


	5. The Plan

**Chapter 5**

The Plan

Eriol came to China a few days later with his guardians in tow. Pleasantries aside, Yelan requested a meeting with everyone involved at the Li Clan's headquarters as soon as he arrived. I had never been there before so I was in awe when we got there. A huge golden pagoda standing tall in the middle of a big garden full of trees arranged symmetrically in each side making a wide path towards the building.

Yelan took the lead as the leader of the Li family followed by Syaoran and his sisters. Behind them Eriol and his guardian followed closely as the reincarnation of Clow and the rest of us where at the end as we entered the building. I could feel several eyes on us as we walked by. Protection was high and there were guards in various posts but Yelan paid them no attention and they let us in without difficulty.

We entered a room at the end of a big hall. It was round and had sitting all around it save the middle of the room where we were standing. I guessed the people sitting down were part of the Li Clan. There were a lot of old men sporting long bears and many others with traditional Chinese robes. As soon as we entered we could hear whispers of them talking about us among themselves. I noticed a woman nearby eyed me carefully and appeared angry.

Yelan cleared her voice with the desired effect of making the room quiet and then proceeded to address everyone.

"Elders. Thank you for agreeing to meet us today. As you are aware, a member of our family has been threatened, her life is in danger. A powerful sorcerer by the name of Yuna D. Kaito is coming after her. We believe he wants to take her power. His motives... although unknown, have the potential to cause great damage, not only to our family, but also to the world if such power is used for evil purposes. We are here to ask for your help."

The woman who had been looking at me in anger arose from her sit and spoke. "She is not a member of this clan, just because you dress her as a Li does not make her one. Why should we care what happens to her?"

She started at me once more, anger evident in her voice. She was looking at my necklace, the one given to me by Syaoran and his mother. I started to feel self-conscious, unsure if asking them for help had been the right thing to do.

"It's not a mere coincidence I have given her such a thing. The Li family does not take these matters lightly May. Do not forget about my gift to see the future and I can say confidently that she is to be one of us. She will marry my son in due time so as such, as far as our family is concerned, she is a Li and she deserved the same protection we all do"

I could not help but look down in embarrassment. I was only 14 years old yet my fate with Syaoran had been sealed. I did not dislike knowing so but the thought of us together still made me blush.

"As you know I am the reincarnation of Clow Reed and possess many of his memories. He had selected this young lady to become the mistress of his cards over a direct descendent of his knowing she will have power no one ever had seen before. The Li Clan should be aware that by mastering the cards at such tender age speaks of the promise of great magical growth. Having her in your family is an advantage you cannot lose. To turn her down in her time of need is unforgivable" Eriol stated, looking down on that woman who had judged me so harshly.

"I have to agree with May, Li Yelan" interrupted an older man sitting opposite to her "While she is no doubt powerful, why should we put our own family at risk? This could spark a war with the association in England... and what guarantee do we have that she will join the family other than your word?"

"I do not lie Elder Jiang. This vision was not only presented to me. I have brought another witness to that" Yelan said, gesturing for my brother to come forth. He bowed to the audience to show his respect before speaking carefully and clearly to the audience.

"I am Touya Kinomoto, the brother of the card mistress. I also possess spiritual powers and can attest that I have seen it too... many years ago in fact. The spirits who speak to me of the future whisper the truth to me too. They will unite their lives soon... that I can promise"

I could not believe what I had just heard. My brother could see the future too? And he had seen Syaoran and my future together? I suddenly remembered father saying something about Touya seeing a glimpse of the future before when we revealed our secrets. I wondered if father had seen this future too. Everything had happened so quickly there had been many questions left unanswered. When the time was right, Touya and I needed to have this conversation, I desperately needed to know the truth.

"Don't forget that Yuna D. Kaito has been expelled from his association. A war is not foretold between our clans. We know he is acting alone and the danger he poses is not only to my family. We recently found out that he stole a sacred object, the Clock of Time nonetheless" Yelan stated.

Gasps of surprise and fear could be heard all over the room but Yelan continued after a brief pause "The dangers of misusing such an object are grave, so you see, we need to work together to stop him and recover the Clock of Time"

Elder Jiang sighted, finally understanding what was at stake for everyone "I understand, this is indeed a dangerous situation, playing with time is an unforgivable sin. What exactly do you want from us? A "D" sorcerer can't be taken lightly, our sorcerers of today's time could not possible fight such a person"

"Your resources, your protection, and your power" Interrupted Eriol "We need to locate him, track him first. I know our enemy is powerful but if we fight together we could take him down"

"I won't force our Clan to fight a battle they do not want to be a part of. We shall think about it and make a decision soon" With this, the old man dismissed us all and we could hear them arguing with one another as we left the room.

We made our way back to the house in silence, hoping the Clan will see reason and help. I still had many other questions regarding the Clock of Time discussed during our audience. Once we left the car transporting us back to the mansion I stopped Touya before he could escape me.

"Brother, we need to talk" I told him as he had attempted to make his way to his room with Yukito. He stopped on his stride, looked at me, and nodded as to encourage me to continue.

"Can you see my future?"

"I wasn't really hiding it monster, it's just that it wasn't a pleasant thing to see" he said with a bit of anger in his voice. Yukito, who was nearby just giggled to himself enjoying the scene.

"I see... when did you see it?" I asked, still blushing.

"The day I met him" He concluded, and I could tell he wanted to say no more but I had to press, I wanted more answers.

"Have you seen anything else in my future? Can you see mom?

"I have not seen mom in a while but I think she is still around... as for your future, you will be a huge monster in a few years" he patted my head while walking away, finishing the conversation then.

"Don't call me monster you meanie!" I had a feeling he had lied to me and there was more he had seen but I knew he would not give me any more answers. My thoughts were interrupted once more by Syaoran's mother who called for Eriol, Syaoran and I to meet with her in her office. We met there shortly after, tension could be felt in the air as I stepped inside.

"Sakura, I have a plan I think may help. How many Sakura Cards are there?" Eriol asked. I was confused by the question, he already knew the answer.

"Fifty-three" I responded without thinking.

"Right, and how many new cards do you have?" He pressed.

"Twenty" I answered after mentally counting them.

"That's right. Don't you see a problem with that? For centuries our descents believed that even numbers were unlucky and by following that ideology, many created magical objects in odd numbers including cards. Clow created 52 cards and died before making the 53rd but you created one subconsciously balancing the cards yourself with The Hope. I think there is potential for you to make a new card but I think the new card needs to be carefully made. Before, you were subconsciously creating cards based on the Clow Cards. This time, I think you should make one from the depths of your power able to fight our enemy"

I was perplexed. To think that something like that would be possible.

"What are you saying, how can I do that myself? I was not trying to make any cards before..."

"Your power knows what to do, we just need to teach you how to improve your technique. I think this is an option we need to use to our advantage" Eriol told me.

To say I wasn't scare would be a lie. I was not confident enough in my power. I think Syaoran could tell what I was thinking as he broke his silence to address me.

"You can do this Sakura, your power has improved since you came here, I can see it. You have been working hard. I think you are ready for a new magic teacher... Eriol can help you from here on out"

"Syaoran... what are you saying? I am not that strong..."

"I believe in you" He interrupted my rant "I know you can do this. I am _seeing_ you" I was touched by his words.

"This is a good plan Hiragizawa-san. I am not so sure of how much help the Li Clan will give us so we need to explore as many alternatives as we can. I will be meeting with them in 3 days to hear their decision and Sakura-chan... it's best they don't know of _this_ plan"

I nodded in understanding. Eriol told me we should work hard on making the card and it was agreed we will do so as soon as possible.

Eriol left the room to reinforce protection seals around the house. He said that since our enemy knew where I was it was best to increase my safety and to keep me in the mansion.

"Yelan-sama, may I ask to know more about the Clock of Time? Is this the stolen object Eriol was investigating?"

"Yes Sakura-chan. Just recently he was able to confirm it. The Clock of Time was believed to be a myth. A powerful object capable of taking you to the past. You have returned in time before through memories so you know that such feat takes a significant amount of power, the same can be told with stopping time. Can you imagine how much more difficult it is to go back in time and be able to change events?"

It dawned on me then, why everyone was so worried when they heard of it. Going back in time had never been heard of. I could see how changing the past could destroy the present.

"If he is a powerful sorcerer, could he use the Clock of Time now? What does he need from me?

"He is indeed powerful but not powerful enough to go back in time for long periods of time. We think he needs to get more power to change something that happened a long time ago but we don't know what it is he wants to change"

"So he wants to take my power..."

"Yes, we think he became aware of your growing power and is waiting for the right time to attack"

"If only I could use my Sakura Cards..."' I said, knowing that without them, I could not be as helpful in a battle.

"You have created new cards that can help you in this quest. Do not lose faith, there are many people supporting you and we will fight together on this"

I knew Yelan-sama wanted to offer some comfort. She already had enough pressure on her shoulders to be worried about my emotional well-being. The Li family had definitely gone above and beyond for my sake, that was clear to me. I smiled, not wanting to cause more stress on them and made my way out of the room while thanking her once more for everything.

When I left the room I was still feeling scared despite my best efforts to appear strong. I was so lost in my own thoughts I almost did not notice him until he held my hand to get my attention. I looked up in surprise to see his hazel eyes staring at me with worry.

"Do you think this plan will work?" I asked him.

"We have to Sakura, I believe we can make this work. Don't forget our families have seen a future for us, so we have to believe there is a future awaiting us"

I blushed yet again but did not pull away as I may have done in the past. Instead, I gathered my courage and hugged him tight.

"Thank you Syaoran... for everything you do for me.' He held me for a few moments and we basked in the silence until a thought crossed my mind "Do you think if magic didn't exist we would still be destined for one another?"

"Without a doubt" He responded, no hesitation in his voice. I stared at his hazel eyes in awe seeing nothing but honesty and kissed him. He returned my kiss in earnest and we enjoyed the intimate moment, not wanting it to end.

How I wished I was a normal teenager worrying about my schooling and other mundane things. I was happy I had found him in the mist of all these adventures, but my mind always wandered to a time where everything was _normal_ and the future was not as uncertain.


	6. The Curse

Author's Note:

This chapter is written in Yuna D. Kaito's point of view. Enjoy!

 **Chapter 6**

The Curse

Yuna

I will never forget the day I was ready to sell my soul to the devil. My parents had abandoned me, afraid of the power I was releasing as a child, something they had never seen before, something they could not understand. My despair started the day I almost drove them to madness with things I never intended to happen taking form day after day. Nobody could help me, nobody understood me. We were living in a nightmare and one day, they could take it no longer.

I could not comprehend how a parent could do such a thing to a young child but this reality hit me hard. I was barely 10 years old, cold, dirty and hungry hiding in the streets of London. By the third day after my parents had abandoned me, I was weak. I was wondering if death awaited me when I saw her. A small child, a girl to be exact. She was smiling, taking uncertain steps while holding to her mother's hand, her parents fussing over her lovingly.

Jealousy. That was all I could feel. This world was so unfair.

The child's father caught me staring, his eyes seeking mine, as if he wanted to see inside my soul. He appeared to be a foreigner, not like the typical English men I was accustomed to seeing. He approached me slowly with a kind smile on his face but I was so angry still just looking at the scene I refused to acknowledge him.

"Are you okay child?" He asked. I continue to ignore him not bothering to make eye contact, my pride telling me I should not be pitied.

"We are celebrating my daughter's second birthday today so we just bought a cake. To tell you the truth the cake it's too big for us three" He gestured to the big box he was holding with one hand while he continued "why don't you come over and help us eat it? It would be a shame if it went to waste..." He pressed, unfaced by my attempt to ignore him.

I did not want to look at him, I really hated pity! What is more, I did not trust people. My parents had no difficulty leaving me so why would a stranger care? I really wanted to ignore him but I was very hungry so the hunger became more powerful than my pride. I finally nodded and he took me by the hand and said no more.

When his wife who was holding the child gave him a questioning look as we approached, he just smiled and said he wanted me to celebrate _Akiho's_ birthday with them. I could tell the woman was English, with her blonde locks and blue eyes shining brightly in the sun. She gave me one last look, no doubt seeing how filthy I was, before nodding in agreement.

As we started walking, their daughter caught a glimpse of me and raised her arms towards me, as if she wanted me to hold her. Her mother tried to calm her down when she threatened to cry if her mother did not comply with her wishes.

"Child, what is your name?" The man asked as we continued down the path.

"John" I said.

"A very nice English name indeed. My name is Akito Shinomoto. This is my wife Maria and our daughter Akiho. Looks like Akiho wants you to hold her... do you mind?"

The man was strange but I complied with his request. His daughter came to my arms and grabbed my fingers, not letting go. She was smiling and laughing. I had never held a small child before, I was a child myself after all. I was surprised by the energy this girl radiated when she smiled at me easily seeing past my pitiful state, unable to understand what had happened to me.

"She likes you" The man said "I think this is a good omen"

We arrived at their home and the man welcomed me. It was a large house yet it felt cozy. Still proud I refused to show my emotions. I still distrusted these people but my solace was in having something to eat at least for a day. I humored them with their daughter who seemed very attached to me. By the time nightfall came I made my way to the door knowing it was time to leave but the man stopped me as I reached for the door.

"Stay tonight, today will be a cold night in London"

'You said there was a good omen today but you were wrong" I told him, recalling his words earlier today during our first encounter.

"Why would you think that?" He asked, confused.

"I bring misfortune to people, it may be wise for me to leave, thank you for the food"

"You are kind indeed... for thinking of us. So much kindness in such a young child" he chuckled "I can see your power, you are no ordinary child, I can see that very well. Do not fear John, you are not alone in this word. I too have a gift, today was a good omen indeed."

A gift? I could not understand how he thought that could be a gift when I had driven my parents to anger and fear, to abandon me...

"I see the anger too you know. Stay here and start anew. I will protect you from now on. John will be no more. Today, Yuna is born"

What happened next was unexpected. I never left their home. The man was genuinely interested in me and treated me as a son. He gave me shelter, food and an education and demanded nothing of me. I forgot my painful past and grew to like the new name bestowed upon me: Yuna signifying "Dark River". I took the last name Kaito for Akito's name as I vowed to myself to always serve his family.

As the years went by Akito taught me about magic. As he told me the day we met, he too had powers. His wife had no magic but she knew everything and did not seem scared of it as my parents had. I learned about Akito's native country of Japan throughout the years while growing up. He also told me that during a trip to England he had met Maria while waiting on a train. An unexpected storm came to London one winter so the trains were late. While waiting on the train he noticed a young woman, Maria, running towards the platform looking at her watch clearly hoping to make it in time to ride the last train. She looked confused when she noticed the train had not come and that the platform was full. Akito told me her confused faced caught his attention so he approached her to tell her it was late likely due to the weather and that she was on time. After that day, they were never apart. Akito said he knew the storm was a good omen and so they got married a few years later.

Living with them was a blessing. Akiho continued to always be by my side, never wanting to be away from me for long. My jealousy transformed to adoration for this child who so blindly showed me love; thus, further motivating me to become stronger to protect her.

When I turned 15 years old, Akito introduced me to the English Association of Magic. A secret organization formed by powerful sorcerers in the country. We held duels and practiced with one another in order to strengthen our powers. I enjoyed being part of this group very much and I was thriving. I could say I was happy too... that was until the day Akito came home with a strange book. He had a habit of collecting magical books around the world and researching new things. I had a bad feeling that day but chose not to think anything of it.

"Maria!" He called for his wife in excitement "I found a very interesting book at this shop. Come take a look"

His wife approached him just as interested as he had been an admired the book with him once she reached him. "The design is quite strange, what language is this?" She asked him after opening it to the first page and pointing to the scriptures.

"I am not sure, the person who sold it to me said it came from a faraway land many centuries ago"

"It does look old, let's take a closer look." Maria took the book to their library and as Akito followed behind her, Akiho came out from her room - now 7 years old - calling to her father lovingly.

"Daddy, you are home!"

"Yes Akiho-chan, daddy brought a book, do you want to read it with papa and mama?"

"Okay" she responded with a huge grin adorning her face "Yuna, you come too!" She told me, knowing full well I would never deny her of anything so I obliged.

We entered the family's library and her parents sat in a loveseat near the window, Akiho in between both of them carefully holding the book while I was various steps behind them observing the scene unfold.

"You sure love books Akiho-chan, just like your daddy!" Her mother chided. The child just smiled and opened the book, her eyes full of excitement at the uniqueness of the designs. To our surprise, she started reading the book in a language we did not know. We all looked at each other in alarm and before we knew it, a light came from inside the book blinding us all. I tried to reach for her but it was hard fighting the strange power now surrounding the room. When the light faded, I saw the three of them on the floor, unconscious.

"Akiho! I called for her but she did not answer, the book still clenched in her arms. I used my powers and whispered a spell to remove the book from her hands without having to touch it, afraid that its power could further hurt her. The book was thrown to the opposite side of the room with the force of my spell. I approached her then and noticed she was still breathing giving me some hope that she was fine. When I reached for her parents I was in disbelief... they were deceased.

I was trying to process what had happened, thinking what to do and how to destroy the book when Akiho awoke.

"Akiho, are you okay?" I asked as I reach for her, worry consuming me.

"Who are you?" She asked, confusion evident in her face. I did not know how to answer so I stepped back as she looked to her surroundings and saw the bodies of her parents on the floor. I could tell she did not recognize them either as she seemed calm and uninterested as she spoke.

"Are they sleeping?"

"Yes" I lied, not having the heart to tell her what had just happened. She nodded and soon her attention shifted to the book in the other side of the room. She ran to it before I could stop her.

"Don't touch that!" I yelled but it was too late, she had the book in her arms once more.

"Why? This book is mine isn't it? It calls to me, can't you hear it?"

No, this could not be happening. I no longer understood if the book had done this or if it had been Akiho's doing. It was clear now she had also developed powers. When did that happen? I could not tell... but looking around it was clear to me the book was cursed.

"Let's go Akiho-san, these people need to rest and so do you"

"Who are you?" She repeated her question.

"I am Yuna Kaito, your butler Akiho-san, let's go" She nodded and I took her to her room to sleep unable to take the book from her. I could tell her memories were hazy. I just needed her to rest while I figured things out. After putting her to bed I debated whether to report this to the association but I was afraid they would do something to Akiho if she was found guilty of her parents' murders so I hesitated. After thinking about it I decided to destroy the bodies so they could never be found and take care of Akiho myself.

Akiho was never the same after that day. She could not part from the book for long and her memories were still hazy weeks after the ordeal, not quite remembering her past...our past. As she started to remember about her parents I make her believe they were on a trip and that she was under my care. In the meantime I worked hard at the association to hide the crime by telling them the Shinomotos were on a mission elsewhere while I gained popularity and fame as I grew stronger in England. While I climbed the ranks in the associations, I secretly investigated about the book.

In my quest to find more information I took Akiho in various trips away from England from time to time but I had not been successful in finding anything useful. I could also tell the association was growing suspicious of me since the Shinomotos had not been seen in years. That however did not stop me from becoming more and more powerful until I reached my 18 birthday and I was given the title of "D". The recognition served me well as it allowed me to learn of the association secrets including objects that were believed to have great power. Among them, the Clock of Time, a coveted item that was said to have the power to go back in time.

As I continued looking for answers, I noticed the book seemed to have power over Akiho who was unable to part from it for long. Sometimes she said she could read its inscriptions but the story always changed. Her powers instead of increasing with age as its common with sorcerers started to disappear slowly and her body became weak as well. I could tell the book was draining her. I was growing more and more desperate to find a solution, fearing Akiho's life could be in danger.

One lucky day while visiting China I learned of the Clow Cards made by a powerful sorcerer who was said to be the most powerful of his time. I traced the cards who were rumored to still exist and to my surprise I found that a child nonetheless had captured them and converted them with her own power. It all became clear then. A plan formed in my mind with this child's power as the key to saving Akiho. This had to be the only way to break this curse. A curse to break another curse.

I waited for the right time and I cursed the child and her powers while she was sleeping. I had just performed my most powerful spell yet and I felt the pain in my body signaling the damage it had caused me for doing so. With Akiho in my arms unconscious, I looked towards the house of the child I had cursed in the distance. My plan already in motion.


	7. The Locked Memory

**Chapter 7**

The Locked Memory

"Sakura watch out!" I heard Kero screamed behind me, alerting me of a direct hit coming from behind.

"Gravitation!" I called and used it to jump several feet in the opposite direction while still high above in the sky "Hail!" I used a second card and a storm appeared, hitting the ball of fire pursuing me. The hail helped slowed it down but it didn't stop it from coming after me. Once I had enough time to position myself correctly I called for Aqua who came down from above me to swallow the ball of fire effortlessness.

"Well done Sakura!" I heard Eriol say. You can use three cards including an element-based card with ease now, your power is indeed growing at an extraordinary speed"

"That's Sakura for you! I helped her after all" Said Kero, puffing his chest out in pride.

I came down slowly from my previous position using gravitation to get me back down safely. I was exhausted but happy with the results hoping the hard work would take me closer to my ultimate goal. Eriol had told me I needed to control my power a bit more before we attempted to make the new card. He said that when sorcerers try to make magical objects or creatures, if not trained properly, the spell can go very wrong and put the life of the master at risk. As such, we practiced relentlessly day after day.

The training was definitely working. I no longer had to instruct my cars on what to do. We were so connected they knew the right moves and aided me automatically. I couldn't explain it but we had developed a certain trust between us that only got stronger with the passing of each day.

For once things were starting to look up. Yelan had gone back to the Li Clan and it was agreed that the resources would be made at our disposal and sorcerers willing to help could do so. I was surprised to find 5 sorcerers volunteered to help. Three of them were willing to fight so they had been introduced to us a few days prior and had done a few training sessions with me.

The oldest sorcerer was Ryu, he appeared to be in his 40s and was in very good shape despite his age. Ryu had short black hair and a kind smile. He had been very nice to me since meeting one another, even telling me about his son An who was also part of the Li Clan. According to Ryu, An was not very good at sports but was very bright and was in university furthering his education. He said this with a smile and I could tell he was a proud father.

The second sorcerer was Kong, a very tall man with a quiet disposition, a bit stoic if you asked me preferring to stay silent. I didn't talk to him much so I didn't know anything about him but it was clear he was powerful. His magic came from the moon so he was great at spells requiring wind and water. Kong reminded me to Yue in some ways.

The third man was Jeong, he had been training in China for the past 5 years but was originally from Korea, having joined the Li Clan through marriage. He was an amazing fighter who relied more in his wit than this size. He had taken all of us on during our trainings and we always lost to him in martial arts. Despite his obvious strength he was always humble about it.

I also heard two other clan members agreed to help but they chose to only do so in the form of finding information on our enemy as we had requested during our audience. We were told those two connected with a network of spies and were trying to locate Yuna D. Kaito thinking him in China.

The days at the Li mansion were full of chaos since Eriol arrived. Not only were we training daily but the added people in the home brought a different kind of drama in itself. Nakuru was set in getting Touya's attention no matter what. Brother hated it and had to escape in the most unexpected ways to get to work each day. Spinel and Kero competed with one another every chance they got and whenever Kero lost, he would throw a huge temper tantrum that could only be fixed with food. Since Touya was hiding most of the time, the Li sister's attention shifted solely to Yukito who was too polite to refuse them. Yes, our days were full of life, that was for sure.

"Sakura, I know you are tired but there is one more thing we need to do before we are done with today's training"

I listened as I took a bottle of water sitting on a rock to refresh myself, wiping some sweat for my forehead as I did so.

"You know I have never created cards, but I made my own guardians which is similar yet different. I have a vague idea of what it may take to make cards but I think it's best to follow the master"

I was feeling confused by his words. Not quite understanding where the conversation was heading to. As if reading my mind Eriol continued.

"Don't forget I have Clow's memories to help me along the way. I thought it would be best to share a memory with you, a memory that is there but I can't fully see... Perhaps you can help... Can you use Record?"

I guessed either Kero or Syaoran had told Eriol of the power of the card. It all clicked immediately and I had to admit it was a brilliant idea. Seeing the purposeful creation of cards could help me in making the card I needed.

"Can I go too? I want to see Clow..." Kero asked, hopeful.

"I think it's best for Sakura and me to do this alone Keroberos. It takes a lot of power to do it and she will be taking me along, it may be too much for her to take you too"

Kero's face fell. I knew he missed his master.

"I am sorry Kero but I tell you what, Wei didn't want me to tell you but he is making a cheesecake as we speak, I am sure now that you know, he may not mind sharing some of it with you"

"Yippy! I love cheesecake!" Kero's mood seemed to improve and he flew towards the house while singing to himself how many slices he would eat.

"Do you think I am ready?" I asked once Kero was out of sight.

"Almost. Your power is sure to be ready soon. Have you thought of the card you wish to create?"

"I have given it a lot of thought but I am not sure yet... I don't think an element-based card will be powerful enough so it's hard to think what will be the right move to make. I unconsciously think of the Sakura Cards so I am afraid I will create another similar card to them"

"I see, you are the only one who can make that decision. My only advice is to not make anything that could draw power from the moon. I think our enemy uses that type of power so it could be risky" After a brief pause he asked "Do you know what to do?"

"Yes" I nodded and with my staff I called upon Record while touching Eriol's hand to connect the memory. I closed my eyes while making my request to the card knowing we had never tried something like this before and waited, the card making itself present and surrounding us in its power.

I felt a pull and immediately knew it had worked. I opened my eyes and saw we were no longer in the Li mansion. Eriol sighted.

"Yes, I have been here before, this was our home"

I recognized it too, I had returned here as well. We were in the gardens of Clow Reed's home. Our thoughts were interrupted when we heard a voice we both knew all too well.

"I love spring, it makes you feel renovated, reminding you that a new cycle starts after everything is dormant during winter" Clow was sitting at the base of a tree enjoying the good weather.

"You only say that because you love flowers" Kero was there, next to him, basking in the sun in his full form.

"Indeed I do, they fill our hearts with their beauty and fragrance"

There are not many flowers in full bloom yet" Kero pointed out looking to his surroundings.

"A little magic can help" Clow said, smiling, his naughty nature clearly playing on his face.

"Are you going to make a new card?" Yue asked. If he had not spoken I would probably had missed him. Yue came from the side of the house, quiet as a cat. He looked much like he did in present time, with his aloof expression in sight... yet I could tell he was happy. I felt a twinge of pain at the thought. I had not been paying enough attention to Yue as of recent, I needed to talk with him more, he could be very lonely.

"Flowers bring happiness so I find the idea a hopeful one" Clow said, staring at an invisible point in the horizon.

His seal appeared on his feet as his staff drew his powers standing by itself in front of him. He closed his eyes for a long time, clearly concentrating in something with his index fingers joined together near his heart. A light was forming in the middle. He then started speaking softly, I could barely hear him speak. It sounded like poetry, once he was done he grabbed a broken branch from the bed of grass and let the light consume it. In an instant, the light took the shape of a card and The Flower was created. Clow held it in his hand and called upon it. The spirit coming to life in front of them.

"Would you share the beauty of your gift with us?" He asked kindly. The Flower nodded and flew up high bringing all the flowers in the garden to full bloom.

"Your power sure is something" Yue said, seeming disinterested yet grabbing a flower from the ground to inspect it closely.

"I didn't create the flower, the Flower Spirit did, I just merely gave it a shape and a name. A spirit may agree to such contract only if you truly understand their essence" As he said this, Clow looked in my direction. Did he know again, back then, that I would come asking?

"Clow..." I said, instinctively getting closer, to prove he could see me, even in this memory... but Eriol stopped me, shaking his head when our eyes met.

"We have reached our limit" Eriol told me and as he said it I noticed I was frozen in place, too weak to move anymore. The world disappearing around us taking us back to the present.

Eriol held me to keep me from falling and took me near a chair to sit down. I was exhausted.

"You did well Sakura, this was a memory I knew I had but was unable to remember. Now we know what we need to do to move forward"

"It's not that easy... how can I make a contract with a spirit? Where do you find them? I don't even know what card is needed..."

"In due time... I am sure it will all make sense, you have done it before after all, we just need to do it a bit different this time. You should rest, you are exhausted"

I fought the need to close my eyes to no avail and before I knew it, I succumbed to my own fatigue.

"How did it go? Is Sakura okay?"

"She is just sleeping, she did very well Li. We got what we needed. Why did you hide from her?"

"It's hard keeping secrets... your secrets. I just want to protect her, no matter what it takes"

"You sure are in love" Eriol laughed "Everything is going according to plan".


	8. The Last Dream

**Chapter 8**

The Last Dream

"Let me out, Let Me Out... LET ME OUT!" That was all I could hear but I could see nothing. The urgency in the voice evident as the pitch increased each time. For a second I thought I recognized the voice but as soon as the familiarity of it hit me, the sound started to move farther and farther away.

"Sakura, wake up! SAKURA!"

I could feel someone shake my body and with a start I opened my eyes.

"What is it Kero?" I asked, rubbing my eyes while trying to orient myself as quickly as possible from my sleepy state.

"You were screaming... I was worried, are you okay?"

"Me? Screaming?" I tried recalling my dream but I could no longer remember it.

'It looked like you were having a nightmare so I came to wake you, I could hear you from my room" Kero told me, eyes staring carefully at me as if waiting for something to happen.

"I see... yes, you are right, it must have been a nightmare. What time is it?"

"It's 4 am, everyone is sleeping..." Kero answered, yawning.

"This late... I wonder how long I've been out for..." I said while trying to think of the last training, knowing that was my last memory.

"You were out for more than a full day" Syaoran said as he entered the room.

"What are you doing here brat? Sakura doesn't need you, she has me!" Kero said with jealousy in his voice. I knew he was having a harder time than usual with the both of us spending more time together since we moved to China. I had to admit I had not spent as much time with my guardians these days and I knew that had to be fixed soon.

"I heard the screams... Sakura, are you okay?"

"Yes, I am okay, a bit tired still. I am sorry for waking you up, to tell you the truth I don't even remember the dream anymore"

"You used a lot of magic the other day, don't worry about it. Here, let me help you, I bet you are hungry"

Syaoran reached for me and helped me out of bed. At first I declined his help thinking it silly that I would need it when I could walk by myself but as soon as I tried to stand up, I felt my limbs fail me.

"Eriol told me what you did. Using that card for long periods of time can really hurt your body. You should feel good as new in a day or two, I promise." He then held me in his arms once more under Kero's angry gaze.

"I am watching you brat" Kero warned. I really had hoped their relationship would have improved by now but I came to understand that it may take a miracle for that to happen.

Syaoran said nothing to further instigate a fight and took me down the stairs to the kitchen where he sat me down while he busied himself reheating a pot with soup, toasting a slice of bread and serving me a glass of water. He even found some cookies hidden in the pantry and poured a glass of milk for Kero who appeared more forgiving after the friendly gesture.

"Has anything happened... since I've been out?" I asked, fearful I had missed something important due to my own weakness.

"Not much. Ryu and Jeong are helping to strengthen our defenses and have added protection charms to the mansion. No news of Yuna D. Kaito yet."

"I wonder if Akiho knows what is happening" I felt sadness thinking of her, I really liked her but the whole situation was beyond me.

"I don't think she does, I really could not sense any magic from her... it's just confusing to think what relationship he has with her... if he is using her in some way for his own motives"

I gasped, even though the idea had crossed my mind before, hearing it aloud made it the more real. I definitely needed to do something, not only for me but for my friend. I had been in China for just over two months now and so much had happened since then.

"We will save her Syaoran, we have to"

"We will" he agreed. He offered me a smile while I finished eating, already feeling as if I was slowly regaining my strength.

Unable to go back to sleep I stayed up. Kero had gone back to bed claiming he was very tired, apparently he had stayed up late practicing playing a videogame so he could finally show Spinel "who was the best" at it.

Syaoran had taken me back to my room and I had tried - albeit slowly - to take a bath, get dressed and to start my day on my own. I refused to sleep the day away despite feeling tired so I opted to meditate instead knowing my body could not take any more physical pressure. My training had been more or less put on hold since Eriol's arrival focusing fully in my magic instead of anything else so the meditation was indeed a wise option at this point.

As I was trying to relax my body and continued to think of what spirit I needed for the battle ahead I sensed him. I couldn't help but smile at the presence of my friend.

"I was meaning to look for you today Yue" I told him, knowing he was just behind me. How strange I could not feel him in Eriol's memory but here it was as easy as breathing.

"Mistress, are you okay?" Yue asked me while approaching a bit more, closer to my side but still a distance away.

"Are you worried about me?"

I saw him blush from my peripheral vision. I knew I was making him uncomfortable but this conversation was long overdue so I pressed on.

"I am happy... that you worry about me and I am sorry for worrying you" I apologized, turning my body to face him, his face showing surprise, a very rare sight indeed. In truth I was nervous too.

"Worrying is my duty" He shrugged, trying to look uninterested, but I knew better. I smiled.

"You have grown since we came here" He told me, as serious as ever.

"Change is necessary and unavoidable. I know I am still a child, yet the only thing I can think about is my wish to become stronger.. to protect all of you. I am sorry I failed to protect the Sakura Cards, to think they are lonely and weak..."

"I am sure they miss you too, they must know you will return to them no matter what"

"Are you trying to reassure me Yue?" I laughed a bit, loving how my guardian was finally showing his heart.

"Mistress... you can share your worries with me if you would like. I can sense your emotions" I felt guilty again. My emotions had been all over the place for a while now. I had hoped this has not been hurting Kero or Yue in any way.

"What about you Yue? I am sorry I have not been around..."

"I am fine" He said simply.

"Come here" I asked. He complied and sat in front me when I gestured for him to do so, confusion could be seen in his face. I moved behind him and removed the laces binding his hair slowly. I knew he was surprised and curious but he let me do as I pleased.

"I saw him again you know" I told him. He nodded, probably already knowing I had seen the memory from Eriol. I combed my fingers through his silver locks undoing the knots carefully while we spoke.

"What did he do?" Yue asked, interested in my story.

"It was a beautiful day, Kero and you were there by his side. It was the day he created The Flower" I continued my task as I spoke "I didn't know you liked flowers"

"I don't"

"I saw you pick up a beautiful plum blossom"

"Ahh... Clow's favorite tree"

I continued my task as carefully as I could, enjoying this rare opportunity to be with my guardian. We didn't say anything more, the silence suiting us until I spoke again.

"I am done. Yue, come to me if you are ever lonely, don't forget you are important to me"

Yue stood up to leave not looking back at me as I said this but I could see a slight nod acknowledging my words. I had enjoyed this moment very much knowing full well our relationship needed work. He left shortly after leaving me behind in that room with one more thought in my mind. I had to help Yue recover his body. I needed to talk with Yelan about it, perhaps she knew a way... once all of this was over.

My strength returned slowly as the day passed. Everyone looked for me throughout the day to make sure I was doing well. Even Meiling stopped by complaining to everyone that they did not help me out enough, making Syaoran feel guilty for leaving my side if even for a second. I had tried to reassure her I was fine and did not need help but she would not hear it. Consequently, she appointed herself as my helper and decided to stay by my side all day and night until she was satisfied I had fully recovered.

I was sure she was exaggerating but that night while taking a bath I paid more attention to my body. Looking at the mirror I couldn't help but notice I looked horrible. I had lost a lot of weight and despite the long hours of sleep I had dark bags under my eyes. I had not cared much about my appearance before but it was clear that my emotional distress was affecting my health. No wonder everyone was so worried!

After my bath I saw Meiling waiting for me in my room. She had declared earlier that day we were to have a "sleep over" so she could help me relax and take care of me. I could tell she wanted to distract me from everything that was happening, and the gesture was touching.

"Look Sakura, I got us a movie that just came out! It had great reviews while it was showing. It's a love story, you know...so you can learn a thing or two" She winked while she laughed at me. How I had missed her energy and laugh.

Before I could respond to her I felt a sudden pain near my heart and everything went black. I could no longer see or hear.

...

 _ **Syaoran**_

"SAKURA!"

I heard Meiling scream and without thinking I was already running towards the room I knew I would find her. When I opened the door Kero and Yue were there by her side, Sakura was on Meiling's lap on the floor.

"What happened?" I asked as I approached her, taking her hand to feel a pulse.

"She fainted all of a sudden and won't wake up" Meiling answered with tears in her eyes, she was visibly shaken.

I sensed something familiar about this scene and knew immediately she was under that spell again. Sakura had told me that it was no longer happening to her but for some reason I could not trust it. We were two fools still hiding secrets from one another.

"She has a pulse. I think she is fine" I grabbed her in my arms and placed her carefully on the bed. Something felt different somehow and I could tell Keroberos knew it too as he had witnessed these dizzy spells before.

"Meiling, why don't you bring her some water, you know, for when she wakes up, perhaps she stayed in the bath too long and is dehydrated" I offered, seeing her wet hair and thinking it a good enough excuse. Meiling nodded and left the room shortly after. I hated it hiding things from her but it was best not to worry her anymore than she had to.

"Do any of you sense anything?" I asked the guardians, knowing they shared a strong bond with their mistress.

"Not anymore, but I felt pain for a second before hearing the girl scream" said Yue, referring to Meiling. "It was brief, but it was there. I immediately knew something was wrong so I came to check on mistress"

"Me too, I felt the same way... I am worried she has not returned to herself yet" Kero said, I knew he had made the same deduction as me, knowing the other times she had awaken shortly after fainting but today this was not the case, there was definitely something off.

Touya opened the door abruptly, catching his breath as he entered the room. It was clear he too knew something was wrong. He saw his sister laying in the bed surrounded by us and approached her silently, reaching for her hand.

"What is wrong?" He asked to no one in particular.

"I think she is having a _dream_ " I told him "for some time know she has had dizzy spells... I just thought they had stopped..."

We all got quiet as if thinking of a potential solution to awake her from it. Touya continued to hold his sister's hand in silence.

"She isn't dreaming. She is trapped" Touya declared after a moment.

"What do you mean?" Keroberos and I asked in unison, confused.

"Your power?" Yue asked him.

"Yes" Touya told us "I have been training as well. My spiritual power is stronger than ever before. I can sense she is trapped in a world we are unable to reach.

"I have seen it too" My mother interrupted as she stepped into the room a moment later "It's time Syaoran. Her fight will start soon and we need to fight ours. Yuna D. Kaito has been located. Here. Go now. I will protect Sakura from here" She gave me a piece of paper with the location. I glanced at it briefly and I was in disbelieve, Yuna D. Kaito had been closer than I expected.

I had hoped for more time to prepare but understood time was not on our side. I nodded, looked towards Sakura once more, hoping this would not be the last time I would see her before leaving her room. I looked for Eriol who was already expecting me, his guardians by his side. I contacted Ryu, Jeong, and Kong to join us in the battle. Sakura's guardians and her brother along with my mother stayed behind to protect her.

We took off as soon as everyone arrived and headed towards the location where we knew he would be expecting us, hoping against all odds that this was a battle we could win.


	9. The Fight

**Author's Note**

A big thanks to all of you who left a review. They are big motivators for me. This was a difficult chapter to write but I hope I don't disappoint anyone. My next update will take longer than usual as I have to be a good adult and go back to work next week U.U my apologies in advance!

 **Chapter 9**

The Fight

 _ **Syaoran**_

I felt the chill of the night hit my face as we moved towards our enemy. We had briefly discussed a plan before leaving, uncertain about what to expect in this battle. Hiragizawa and I had changed to our ceremonial robes knowing the added protections would be needed. We were so close to our target we could feel him, he no longer hiding his magical presence. He wanted to be found.

I saw him first, past the entrance to an old temple. He was standing in front of the gate, glancing at a clock he was carrying with a smile on his face, unperturbed by our arrival. As I got closer something caught my attention, behind him was the unconscious form of someone wearing a ceremonial robe I had never seen.

"You are just in time" Yuna D. Kaito told us, mocking us.

"What did you do to Sakura?" I yelled, demanding an answer, my sword in hand on the ready.

"I am merely fixing a wrong Li Syaoran. Not to worry, if everything goes well you will never remember this day"

I didn't have time to process what he had told me. A dark creature appeared in front of him and attacked us causing the desire effect of separating us as we dodged the attack. The creature looked like a mix between a dragon and something else, with electric currents being spit from its mouth. A guardian. Similarities to Keroberos and Spinel evident. He was a very strong sorcerer indeed to create such a powerful beast. I had never seen a guardian this size before.

We tried to take cover as best as we could for the upcoming attack but Hiragizawa chose to confront it instead, no longer wanting to be on the defensive. With his seal at his feet, Hiragizawa maneuvered his staff to divert the attack with ease. An incantation was heard and sharp ice came forth attacking the beast repeatedly under his command.

Kong took advantage of the distraction and moved swiftly between Hiragizawa and past the guardian throwing a spell towards our enemy. He had just joined the battle yet he had been seen by Yuna D. Kaito almost immediately. Yuna was unfazed by the spell, moving at the right time to avoid the hit. He raised his hand and called a spell of his own that in a second took Kong out. I was perplexed by the sight, it had happened so quickly. Kong was a strong sorcerer so to be taken down so easily spoke volumes of the power Yuna had.

"Kong!" I heard Ryu call after him as he saw the scene unfold, too quick for any of us to do anything about it. Ryu became very angry and in his stupor summoned the power of the earth to bring forth boulders of rocks against the enemy as he moved closer to deliver a hit with his body.

"Get back!" I yelled at him, worried he was acting in anger and not seeing reason. He needed to defend himself, not attack... but it was too late. He too was hit effortlessly by a spell from Yuna which threw him back with such force he hit the ground, the impact leaving him unconscious. We were losing this battle fast, we needed to do something.

"Ruby Moon, Spinel!" Hiragizawa called for his guardians who quickly understood and took over his position to face the beast. Hiragizawa already moving towards Yuna for an attack.

"I finally meet you Mr. Eriol Hiragizawa, I have heard a lot about you"

"Likewise" Hiragizawa replied while calling upon his power, fire raising from the ground to attack the enemy. This made Yuma retreat and for the first time, get was in a defensive position.

"Too good for the English Association? Don't forget who has the "D" title!" He taunted him, trying to gain control of the fire himself to reflect the attack. He was struggling but at the end he succeeded. Hiragizawa barely had time to cover himself with a shield of his energy for protection.

I had to do something.

"Fire God, come forth!" I called as I moved closer. Hiragizawa called for Fire as well joining powers. Yuna could barely contain it but was able to absorb the power at the end, thankfully not without getting hurt. He took a few more steps backwards, grabbing the arm he had used to defend himself in pain. Sorcerers used magical objects to channel power, the fact that he was able to use his body alone worried me.

"Two against one, that's not very fair is it? Not at all like the so powerful Clow would have done. If only he saw his reincarnation behave this cowardly he would surely be rolling in his grave in shame! I had enough of you Eriol Hiragizawa, meddling with my plans for the start but that will be no more"

"Free Sakura from that spell of yours, she has done nothing to you!" I told him, interrupting his ramble, anger fueling me, I would do anything to protect her.

He said no more, a smile visible on his face, making me explode. Hiragizawa and I continued to exchange spells trying our best to combine our powers to deliver the hits with more strength and accuracy as he moved rapidly from side to side avoiding each of them. Ruby Moon and Spinel still fighting the enemy's guardian with difficulty behind us.

From the corner of my eye I saw Jeong approach the body still laying behind our enemy, he had hid waiting for this opportunity. Jeong was fast so he reached the unconscious body from his hiding place in a matter of seconds. As he took the body in his arms to move it the robes slid off slightly revealing the person inside it, it was Shinomoto. A chilling warning was heard as this happened, Yuna D. Kaito's calmed demeanor gone.

"Do not touch her!" He yelled as he delivered a powerful lightning attack that I was sure had either killed the man or seriously injured him. He was unconscious the moment the spell made contact.

I could tell Hiragizawa was having more and more difficulty keeping up and so was I... I didn't know what else I could do but I needed to hold on matter what... for her.

...

 _ **Sakura**_

I was afraid to move. There was darkness everywhere I looked and I could not escape it. It took me a few minutes to hold myself together. It wasn't the time to be weak. I grabbed my key from my neck and called upon my staff before noticing in horror my cards where not with me.

Since I had fained unexpectedly, I had not been prepared to have my cards on me. I started to panic... how could I get out of this place without them? Will the cards be close enough to where my body was for me to call upon them? I decided to give it a try knowing this was the only choice I had. I called for my staff with my seal at my feet and tried.

"Blaze!"

Nothing happened... my worst fear becoming a reality. I was growing scared thinking of possible ways to handle this situation when I saw a small white light in the horizon. Like The Glow, my Sakura Card, blinking and disappearing as quickly as it had come, almost as if it was communicating with me. Something told me to try again... so I did.

"Blaze!" I called again and this time the card materialized in front of me, Blaze responding to my call. Somebody had moved the cards closer to my body. Could someone see me? I wondered.

"Blaze, please let me borrow your fire, and the card created a small ball of fire I could use to illuminate my surroundings while returning to its card form. Once I was able to see I noticed I was in a big room of what appear to be an old building, it was empty. I saw a door to my left so I walked out hoping to find a way out. A long hall connecting various rooms was visible so I decided to follow it cautiously as it opened up to what it looked like the outside. I thought this may be it but as I got closer I realized I was inside a temple and near the door leading to the outside someone I recognized was laying down.

The robes. This was the person I had seen in my dreams. It took me a minute to remember I knew this person. I approached the body removing the cover of the head with curiosity, something pushing me to find the identity of the person hunting my dream. To my surprise, Akiho was there, unconscious.

I stepped back from her, scared and confused. It was her, it had always been her. No... this could not be right. I refused to believe my friend was the one behind all of this.

"Akiho" I called her name after getting over my initial shock but she did not respond. Still cautious I approached her, I shook her, something didn't seem right.

Akiho awoke suddenly with my touch and as she did so, she grabbed my staff, trying to take it from me. I called upon Struggle without needing to think twice and I felt the strength of the card within me, allowing me to break free from her hold and regain power of my staff.

"What are you doing?" I asked, scared.

"I want it, give it to me!" She screamed, her eyes devoid of life, as if she were a mere poppet of something I was unable to see. This was my dream, I was reliving it once more, except this no longer felt like a dream.

"No, you can't!" I told her. To my surprise she started attacking me but having the power of Struggle in me gave me an easy advantage. I tried to reason with Akiho to no avail, she was not in her right mind, she seemed to be under a spell of her own.

I didn't want to hurt her but we were getting nowhere, I was running out of ideas until a memory came to me, one where an old friend was under a spell similar to this one except the culprit was a card. I knew what to do immediately, I needed to find the source of the power and either take it from her or destroy it.

"Siege" I called, the card surrounding Akiho, imprisoning her in its walls. "Mirror" I called next "show me our real enemy" The card penetrated the walls of Siege and showed me a silver crescent moon on top of Akiho's head, where her robe was again in place covering her face. I knew immediately this force was the one doing this to her.

"Gale!" I called, a powerful gust of wind flying towards the target, destroying it with its strength. Akiho becoming unconscious once more.

"Akiho" I continued to call for her as I ran towards her, trying to keep her from hurting herself as she fell. When I reached her I continued to call for her and after a few moments she opened her eyes slowly.

"Sakura-san?" Akiho finally responded, confusion evident in her face.

"I am glad you are okay" I sighted. Just by looking at her eyes and hearing her soft voice I could immediately tell I was seeing the usual Akiho in front of me.

She tried getting up but shrieked in pain holding her hand to her head.

"What's wrong?" I asked her as I reached for her to help her.

"Painful memories... I remember everything now"

"What are you talking about?"

"Yuna... Something is not right, we need to get out of here, I need to talk to him now"

"Kaito-san? You must stay away from him, he is dangerous" I warned her, knowing that in doing so I could hurt her. It was no secret they were close.

"Sakura-san... I don't blame you for thinking that way. I can clearly see what he is doing now but in my heart I know he is not a bad person. I just need to talk to him... To fix all of this"

I was perplexed by her words. "What is it that you know?" I asked her.

"He is looking at all of this wrong, that's why he is doing what he is doing. He just needs to learn the truth. I can feel it, my fate has been sealed, it's too late now, he must know that"

"I don't understand..."

"There is no time, we need to keep moving. We need to get out of here. I promise I will explain it all later, at the right time" She declared. She moved to look around, searching for any clues as how to escape this prison.

I was still hesitant but chose to trust her, at least for now. I stared looking around too, making a move to go to the outside where I had initially been heading towards before encountering Akiho. "There is nothing but darkness farther inside, I was there before, I think we need to move outside" I told her, Akiho nodded and followed behind me.

As soon as we were outside we were able to see the temple more clearly, the gate, the trees, the statues... everything was there. We decided to walk around the outside first before attempting anything else. As we walked I dared to ask a question that was bothering me from the start.

"Akiho...your robes... do you have powers?" I blurred out.

"Yes, but they are not what you think they are" She said simply, still looking around.

"What do you mean? I can't sense any magic..."

"That's because I stole it from you, so slowly you barely noticed, unable to feel the threat of something that in theory is yours already but in someone else's body...I am sure he helped too" She had interrupted my ramble, the new information confusing me even more. I stopped cold while hearing her words, scared at the implication.

"What are you talking about?"

"I see it clearly now, my memories returning. I had powers of my own before but the book cursed me, draining my own energy with the passing of each day, sealing my fate in the depths of the book I adored, when in reality I should have despised it..." Her face fell at the confession.

"You are cursed?" I asked her, now feeling sadness for my friend.

"Yes, and so are you... because of me. We need to get out here Sakura-san. A battle awaits us on the other side"

Tears threaten to leave my eyes when I heard I was cursed, I never imagined this situation to be this bad. It took me a moment to collect my bearings yet again. Akiho stopped waking knowing I was having a hard time processing her confession, she put a hand on my shoulder before speaking.

"I can break the curse Sakura, do not worry, I am so sorry that this happened. I know I have told you many things that are hurtful and confusing but right now we need to join another battle to save the ones we love...and ourselves"

Her words helped give me the courage I needed to keep going. I tried my best to calm myself before getting back to work.

"We can't walk any farther, there is nothing else there. It's like we are trapped in a dream." I told her seeing we had already explored the outside of the temple without success, not feeling any magic or seeing anything that could help us.

"A dream you say?... Alice!"

"What are you talking about Akiho... you are confusing me"

"We are trapped inside the book, my book...Sakura-san, do you remember how Alice escaped Wonderland"

"Her sister woke her up... it was a dream, right?"

Akiho nodded. "I think one of us is sleeping. Maybe if we are awakened?"

"Impossible, I was with someone before fainting. I am sure people have already tried to awake me, yet we are here. Does it mean that I am in your dream?"

"Perhaps" Akiho said pensive. "If the outside won't wake me, then we need to destroy the book from the inside"

"I don't have the power to destroy the book" I told her sheepishly "My magic uses cards but none of them could destroy this place without hurting us, if only I had the Sakura Cards..."

Akiho looked around, taking sight of our surroundings once more. "The moon" she said with a smile on her face, looking hopeful.

"What about it?" I asked in confusion.

"You can see it from here, look!" She pointed above us, it looked quite small but it was there. A silver glow high above us. "Maybe the exit is in the sky, but how could we get there..."

"Flight!" I called "Mirror" I continued. I had done this before, I was sure this could work out. Mirror copied Flight so that there were two sets of wings in the shape of ribbons. I gave Mirror's creation to Akiho and took her by the hand helping her navigate the sky. As we reached out we were stopped by translucent glass keeping us from leaving the book.

"Amazing Sakura-san, I didn't know you had such powers!" I just smiled at her words, trying to hide how scared I was knowing that my powers were draining fast, I was having a hard time keeping myself going.

"Akiho-san, move over there for a minute. I will try to break the glass. I gestured for her to move behind me a distance away.

"Blaze!" I called and a huge bird came forth spitting fire towards the glass, melting it. The glass disappearing as sand below us. I didn't know how much longer I could continue, I had used 6 cards today, a feat I had never before accomplished but I needed to push forward, Akiho needed me now.

Once the glass was broken I grabbed Akiho by the hand and pushed forward flying higher towards the moon. We heard walls starting to fall below us as if the world that held us prisoners was reshaping itself to hold us back. I increased our speed almost missing the bright light at the end blinding us. I heard Akiho's scream but just like before there was nothing else for me to hear or see afterwards. Nothingness swallowing me once more.


	10. The Contract

**Chapter 10**

The Contract

 _ **Akiho**_

I came to myself so suddenly, immediately knowing the spell had been broken. With no time to lose I stood up to take the scene in front of me, a scene from a nightmare. I could see Yuna fighting Li and someone else I didn't know. Not far from them two creatures I had never seen before also fought with a ferocity that frightened me, a strange woman throwing shards of something towards the bigger one beside them. A man a few feet from me laid unconscious. The realization hit me hard pushing my lack of stamina to the limit.

"Yuna!" I yelled at him as loud as I could, he needed to hear me.

He stopped attacking the others to look at me. "Akiho-san?" He called my name with a hint of doubt. I knew he knew it immediately... that something was amiss. To be called by this his name... the name I had used many years ago before calamity stroke us.

"Why?" He asked as he approached at an incredible speed, his fight forgotten. His opponents barely catching their breaths, welcoming the sudden pause.

"I wasn't meant to destroy her Yuna, I know what you are trying to do, it's too late to stop this. Let me face my sins and move on"

"No! We will go back and make everything right again. If you didn't take her, I will"

Yuna said no more. He called for someone, the biggest beast answering his call and taking him through the sky towards a direction I could guess would lead him to her. I had to stop him.

"No, don't go!" I told him, still hoping I could make him see reason but he continued his path despite my desperate pleads.

"He is going to Sakura" I heard Li tell his companion in horror.

"Take me with you! I have to help" I told them when I saw them make their way to her.

Li's companion nodded and the other creature, much like a big cat told me to get on him. I mounted it in fear, next to the strange woman that seeing closely resembled a butterfly. She nodded at me in approval and we took off hoping against all odds we would make it in time.

 _ **...**_

 _ **Sakura**_

"She is back" I heard Yue said to someone I could not see. This meant the dream was over. I tried to open my eyes with some effort and saw my room. Kero flying in front of me to see me closely, Yue and Meiling on one side also staring at me carefully.

I tried moving, a sense of urgency devouring me but something heavy hindered my movements. I looked down to see Touya who was holding my hand, unconscious.

"He is sleeping" Yelan told me from behind the others near the door sensing my worry. "He is exhausted because he used all of his power to guide you"

"Guide me? I don't understand"

"The light" Yue told me "He used his spiritual power to reflect the light and show you the way out. She helped open the path at the right time" Yue pointed to Yelan as he said so, they had helped me get out.

"Did you see what was happening? My cards were with me when I needed them"

"Yes, Touya could see" Yue continued. I had no idea his power had increased that much.

"I think he is coming. He is after me" I told no one in particular.

"Yes, he is" Yelan agreed "The question is... what do you want to do?"

"I need to finish it all" I told her, I didn't have to think about it. She nodded in understanding and moved away from the door she was guarding.

I moved to stand up and leave while carefully removing myself from my brother's grasp. As soon as I tried to get up I felt the pain cursed my body, I had already used too much magic. Despite the pain I willed myself to move, pushing myself with all my might.

"Kero, Yue"

Kero transformed and allowed me to mount him as we followed the powerful magical presence we could tell was approaching.

"Mistress... are you sure about this?" Yue asked me as we moved swiftly through the house, towards the courtyard south of the house where we knew we would meet him. I could sense the worry in his voice.

"Yes" I told him in response, trying to sound strong as I did so to reassure him.

"Let's go!" Kero said in excitement, running through the halls he knew all too well "We are ready to kick butt!"

We almost lost our footing when we felt it. It was something like an earthquake except it didn't stop, the sound of thunder echoing along with the trembles.

"He is breaking our defenses" Yue guessed.

"We are almost there" Kero was now flying to avoid delays.

As soon as we were outside I dismounted him to stand on my own feet and as I did so, the protective barrier was broken, a spell so powerful it almost hit me if it were not for the necklace I was wearing. The emerald shinned before forming a protective shield around me. No doubt Syaoran's spell activating amidst the imminent danger.

"I'm impressed, for a child to break my spell... you sure are full of surprises" I heard his voice, knowing immediately who it was before I could even see him.

"I won't give you what you want" I told him.

"We shall see about that" Yuna D. Kaito attacked me with a powerful electric current.

"Reflect!" I called, returning the attack with the same force. He was one step ahead of me, sending trembles through the ground making me use Flight to protect myself as he created a shield to protect himself from his own attack. This was the power of a D sorcerer, a power I had never seen before.

With my guardians by my side Yue launched his arrows towards the enemy and Kero helped me with fire of his own as we continued to exchange spells with one another. I almost didn't notice their arrival until he spoke and despite the noise of the battle I knew he was there.

"Fire God come forth" Syaoran called. Fire spouting from his sword towards my enemy, giving me a much needed moment to land safely and prepare with the next card.

"Blaze!" I joined him, a curtain of smoke separating us from the enemy. Yuna D. Kaito sending a spell of his own in a fight for power that sent shocks to everything near us. The clash of our powers erupted high in the sky as if the impact had been too much, making all of us stop and take cover. The curtain of smoke still lingering, blocking my visibility and putting me on the defense.

I was on edge trying to use my hearing to help me determine where the enemy was when I heard it.

"STOP!" Her soft voice could be heard in a heart-broken scream.

Nobody saw this coming, Yuna had already seen me and was throwing a spell my way when Akiho had placed herself between us, the spell hitting her.

"No!" I yelled as soon as it hit me, Syaoran now by my side stopping me from moving forward.

Yuna D. Kaito had a terrified expression on his face and ran to where she was in horror. It was clear she was leaving us.

"Yuna, I am sorry" She told him with tears in her eyes.

He reached for a clock in his pocket with urgency, dropping it in his perturbed state. As he reached for it again a ray of energy hit it, moving it several feet away from him, Spinel moving quickly to grab it with his mouth and give it to Eriol who had used the spell to get it.

Yuna was ready to fight for it but was stopped by Akiho.

"I will never be rid of this curse, nobody can go back in time that far. I have to die, if not now I will later"

"No!" he cried "we will fix this" but as he said so, she slipped away.

I felt an ache in my heart I did not know I could feel, the scene touching me in a way that was killing me slowly. The loss of a life, in front of my eyes... of a friend nonetheless was too much to bear. It took me a second to swallow the pain I was feeling and I lost it then. I felt something overtake me.

Anger. Sadness. Despair. A force beyond me overtook me and I knew what to do, a light coming within me surrounded me as I moved closer to her. Her inert body under my gaze, unable to see anything else but her.

I made to touch her as Yuna tried to stop me, attempting to protect the body from anyone else. He tried to attack me but could not touch me, the light protecting me and forming a barrier around her body and me as I got closer.

A tear fell from my eyes, the sadness consuming me. As the tear touched her body something very strange happened. I saw something in her heart, a small light waiting... signaling it was time to do what my heart already knew. I stood up, used my staff and created a contract with a spirit., the card forming in front of me, the pain in my heart increasing as it did so.

Once done I called upon it, not needing to read its name, already knowing what had been created.

"Soul" I whispered and the card did its job, taking everything from me in the process and breaking as the task was done.

This was no normal card, it had taken something in exchange for the wish I had made. As soon as the contract ended, I collapsed, devoid of any strength.


	11. The Secrets

**Chapter 11**

The Secrets

 _ **Syaoran**_

Akiho Shinomoto's body had moved. We were all frozen in place as we saw Sakura do what we thought was impossible. She had created a card that had brought someone back to life, something that went against nature, something that had a heavy price to pay. As she did so, she collapsed and for a second I though she may had given her life in exchange for hers.

Akiho arose from her spot, the barrier surrounding the both of them disappearing slowly, her eyes gazing at Sakura next to her.

"Thank you" she told her "I shall pay the price too" we heard her tell her as everyone was silent, astonished by the scene. Yuna D. Kaito was by her side as soon as the barrier broke, took her in his arms and fled saying nothing more.

Nobody pursued him. I was running towards her as fear and anger overtook me, thinking the worst had happened.

"Sakura, don't leave me" I prayed as I got closer. I checked to see whether she was breathing detecting a slight pulse from her neck, my worst fears fading away. I placed her in my arms, not willing to let her go while asking the others for help.

"She will be fine" Hiragizawa spoke. "She is alive... but she has made a contract in exchange for a miracle"

"What is it she exchanged?" I asked in fear, unsure if he knew the answer.

"Her power, there is no other explanation I can see" He replied, his face stoic as if trying to solve a complicated problem.

"Does this mean she will no longer have magic?" I asked, scared for what that would mean for her.

"No, her guardians are still here" Hiragizawa pointed out and it was true, Keroberos and Yue were by their mistress' side where I was.

"I think she gave up most of her power, but not all of it just as Clow did when he gave me his power before passing away"

"Are you saying she will die?" I asked in disbelief, still trying to grasp the situation.

"I think it all depends on her, her battle has not ended yet" I looked back at her then, her body unmoving in my arms wondering if she still had a strong will to stay with us, to continue this fight. If there was a way I could help her get better, I will do the impossible to do so. As I was thinking along those lines an idea hit me.

"The cards..." I said to him and he knew what I wanted to ask.

"They shall remain the way they are for now. I will seal the new ones until she recovers" He replied simply.

"What are you talking about?" Keroberos asked in anger knowing something was wrong with our conversation.

"I am sorry, Keroberos, for keeping yet another secret from you and Yue. I guess it's time you know. The Sakura Cards are safe, Syaoran had sealed them in his compass while giving his magical energy in return to keep them alive." Hiragizawa told them calmly.

"Brat.. why the hell would you do that?" Keroberos roared in anger ready to attack.

"Sakura was cursed, her energy draining, we needed to help her use less magic so her powers didn't disappear. It made sense to seal the cards which were feeding of her energy until we destroyed the curse" I responded in an attempt to reason with the guardian.

"Yuna D. Kaito also knew of her, Yelan had foreseen him try to steal the cards to help him go into the past. We also needed to hide the cards to protect her and to ensure he will not use them." Hiragizawa added. "When he was unable to get the cards, his focus shifted to Sakura's power and her new cards so we hid her here under the protection of the Li family"

"Why didn't you tell us?" Yue asked, visibly upset at our explanations.

"Because she could not know. She would have never given her cards willingly... and her power needed to increase." Hiragizawa told him. "We just didn't expect for her to create her own cards and for her power to increase at the rate it did. She will become very powerful one day, maybe even more so that Clow Reed"

"She needs to rest" I heard my mother say a distance away, urging us to stop the conversation while we attended to her instead.

I took her inside the house, to her room while promising to myself I would not leave her side until I could see her emerald eyes looking back at me.

...

 _ **Sakura**_

I was walking through a forest, not able to find my way out, not really knowing where I was heading until I heard a soft melody play in the distance. Before I could understand what I was doing I was already moving forward, following the soothing sound.

When I reached the sound I was able to see her then, high above a tree, looking down at me, eyes that mirrored my own.

"Mom" I called for her, tears in my eyes "I miss you" I told her.

"I know and I do too" She told me as the melody stopped.

"Have I died?" I asked, wondering why I could see her.

"No... don't be afraid. Your body just couldn't handle it anymore, you pushed yourself too far"

"I am sorry" I lowered my gaze in embarrassment, knowing full well what I had done had been dangerous. Mom said nothing. I looked around us still not understanding what was happening so I asked another question "Where am I?"

"We are in the place you ought to be, under my protection, to heal your wounds."

"Are you an angel?" I asked her, noticing the beautiful wings adorning her frame, admiring her beauty and marveling at the sound of her voice, I had missed her very much.

"Not quite" She answered with a beautiful smile "It is true I left many years ago, but my power remains through you and Touya... and my desire to protect you"

"Can I stay with you?" I didn't want to leave, I wanted to carve this image of her in my mind forever, feel her warmth, her love. I asked that question as I tried to move closer but noticed I could not touch her no matter how hard I tried. It was as if she was a mirage playing with my emotions yet she seemed so real.

"You can, but you must know many others are waiting for you" She said to me in a loving voice. "I am no longer able to be touched Sakura, I only live in your heart".

I understood her words but I didn't want to go for fear I will never see her again. She sensed my distress and with a kind smile she warned me I needed to wake up when the right time came to live my life with everyone that loved me. She promised that in return she would continue to look after me from above.

I was crying, many emotions playing with my heart at the idea of leaving her but knowing full well I needed to get back. She descended from the tree then and made to deliver a kiss in my forehead before everything went black, yet again.

I tried to open my eyes as I felt the pain in my body. I immediately knew I was back and conscious. As soon as I was able to see, I saw Syaoran's eyes looking at me, a smile in his face.

"Welcome back Sakura" He told me while taking my hand in his and kissing it with adoration. I could see the relief in his face, how his tense muscles relaxed as he spoke to me.

"I am back" I agreed "How long have I been gone?"

It took him a few seconds to answer and when he did I could hardly believe his words. "One month..."

My eyes opened in disbelief, I looked to my surroundings and saw the machines that were in my room, the IV set in my arm probably providing food and keeping me hydrated. My muscles tense with the lack of movement.

"What happened?" I asked him, trying my best to remember, my memories were hazy.

"You fought Yuna D. Kaito, we were all there but Akiho got hurt and you saved her"

"Ahh... I remember now, my power must be gone isn't? I remember talking to the spirit..."

"Not quite but you did give most of your power to her. Your power should return in due time"

"I see... I am glad she is okay... where is she?" I asked with curiosity.

"She left with him shortly after you saved her but a few days later this letter arrived... for you" He told me and handed me an envelope with my name written in it. I opened it carefully and read it out loud.

" _Sakura-san,_

 _You have giving me more than I could ever repay you for. Thank you for saving me and for saving him from a mistake he most likely would not have been able to return from. I am sorry I couldn't stay to apologize and thank you myself. When the time is right I will return to do so and will repay my debt._

 _My curse has been broken thanks to you, the price being my death to destroy an object of such evil. Your curse destroyed as mine broke, no longer needing your magic to survive yet receiving your power to keep me alive. You must also know by now the Clock of Time is no longer in his possession, I advise you to destroy it as no good can come from the sin of changing the past._

 _Until we see each other again,._

 _Akiho"_

"Sounds like we will see her again" Syaoran said as I finished reading the letter.

"Yes... I am glad she is okay. I wonder when that time will be...do you think she will be safe with him?"

"I think so, I think he was willing to give his life for her... surely that is what drove him to steal the Clock of Time and try to steal your cards and power..." Syaoran responded "He is quite cunning, to come up with such a plan... to curse you and seal you and Shinomoto-san in that book while she was under his spell. Touya told me you were able to break it Sakura, you are amazing!"

I blushed at the compliment "I could tell something wasn't right but I couldn't have broken free from that book without your mother and Touya"

"I am just glad it all worked out, and that you are safe" He told me as he kissed by hand once more as if he could not believe I was with him at this very second.

"So what happened to the Clock of Time?" I asked after a moment, now curious with what Akiho had mentioned in her letter"

"Hiragizawa has it. He has not been able to destroy it but is looking for a way to seal it. It is a very powerful object after all... Nobody knows he has it, we told the Clan Li that it had been destroyed during the battle."

"Good idea" I said, but the conversation had already drained me and I was slipping away again. I still had many questions but my energy was leaving me. "Cards?" I managed to ask groggily knowing he would understand.

"Everything is fine, just rest. I will tell you everything there is to know when you wake up again. I will stay by your side until then, I promise"

"Yes" I told him and I was gone, back to dreaming.


	12. The New Prophecy

**Chapter 12**

The New Prophecy

It had been two weeks since I had woken up. My energy had slowly returned and true to his promise, Syaoran had not left my side. My power was still weak but strong enough to support Kero and Yue. Shortly after waking up I found out the harsh true about my cards when I also noticed my new cards were no longer in my possession.

Eriol told me he had taken them and sealed them until I was able to support them too and Syaoran admitted he had the Sakura Cards all this time, also sealed in his magical compass.

As much as I understood why they did it, I couldn't help the anger I felt and the sadness that overtook me at the realization that Syaoran had kept such a big secret from me. In truth I was very hurt and he knew it.

He had assured me he only did so to protect me and told me he will release the cards slowly back to me as my power recovered. I wasn't ready to forgive him yet but I couldn't stand being angry at him for long. He promised I could do anything to him in turn to make this right but I couldn't think of anything to ask of him so we agreed that I had a free pass in the future should something come to mind.

My father had arrived in Hong Kong a few weeks ago. He had already been told of my condition shortly after the battle so he came to see me and to make sure everything was fine. It was strange having everyone here but it felt good all the same, as if my family was complete if just for a short time.

With Meiling as my self-appointed helper by my side once more, I had to admit I had been able to recover more comfortably, particularly considering that at first I needed significant help with my hygiene due to my lack of strength. In a few weeks' time I was able to move by myself with ease.

At my quick recovery, Eriol and his guardians returned to England as he promised he will see me again once I was strong enough to take control of the new cards.

Things seemed to be looking up, but a particular question kept playing in my mind with each passing day until the time came that I would ask it, and such day was today.

"Thank you for meeting with me Yelan-sama" I told her as I entered her office, happy that she had made time to meet with me after all that had happened which I knew in turn kept her quite busy.

"Not a problem Sakura-chan, please take a seat, what can I do for you?"

"I was wondering if it is time for me to go home... our enemy has left and there is no more danger"

"I see... well that depends on you of course. You can always go back to Japan but you must know this is your home also and if you wish to stay, you are more than welcome to do so".

I was going to respond when Yelan continued "However, there is something else you must know before making your decision. I am afraid your brother must be the one to tell you this and we need others to hear it too"

She caught me off guard and my hopes diminished as I thought something else was wrong, perhaps I was never meant to live in peace... As these thoughts invaded my mind, Yelan stood up and had a maid outside of her door call for the others. We waited in silence until Syaoran, Touya, and my father arrived.

"Is it time yet?" Touya asked Yelan when he saw me inside the room.

"Yes, Sakura wonders if it is time to return home. I think she can as long as she knows about your vision"

"I see" Touya replied, not at all convinced with the idea.

"What's going on?" I asked in fear, really hoping the situation at hand was not as bad as I was thinking.

"Sakura. I had a new vision not long ago, about you... and the kid" He finished with a hint of annoyance in his voice.

"I talked to Yelan-san about it because something didn't make sense but after discussing it we learned more about our past with the help of dad."

"I don't understand what you mean..."

"Let me speak, this is hard for me to say okay?" He paused, I nodded in understanding and waited for him to continue. "As you know mother died very young, she had grown sick way before she met father, we came to find out that such sickness was no coincidence. Now that we know she had powers we were able to deduce her problem was the magic itself. Just like you, she struggled to control it and grew to become more powerful making her body unstable. Her best years were when she became a mother and her health improved for a time as well..." Touya paused once more, as if it was painful recalling his memories of our dear mother.

Seeing how difficult this was being for Touya, Yelan took the lead once more.

"We think her lifespan was short because of her inability to control her magic but being able to share her power by giving birth to you and your brother helped extend it. Had she had ways to release her magic either through objects such as the cards or guardians she may have lived longer, or if she had had another child"

"You are showing the same problem, for what father told me around the same age mother did. We believe giving your power to Akiho Shinomoto and having as many cards as you do along with your guardians has helped and will help for a time... but that won't last forever" Touya concluded.

"Are you saying I will die young too?" I asked in fear, unable and unwilling to accept their explanation. "What did you see?" I asked him, now desperate for more answers.

"I saw you and him with your child... you still quite young" I could tell this conversation was as difficult for him as it was for me. "I think you will need to have children soon, when your power gets out of control again"

"How much time do I have?" I asked him

"A few years at most. Because your power continues to grow so rapidly it's hard to tell exactly" He replied in a whisper.

"Impossible, I am only 14 years old!" I paused, trying to hold myself together at the news "does this mean I am to have many children? will I die like mother when I no longer do?"

"Calm down Sakura-chan, I know this news are difficult for you but we think you can learn to control your magic more and perhaps gain time until we find a solution" Yelan told me, trying to calm down the overwhelming emotions that were overtaking me.

I looked to my side to see Syaoran for support, wondering if he knew too but soon realizing by his expression that this was the first time he heard of it.

"Sakura" My father called and spoke for the first time "Your mother was alone, only sharing her secret with me who didn't know much. I know this is hard to process and it pains me to see how it hurts you too but I have to have faith that with the support of the Li family and your friends we can find a solution someday."

"I just... didn't think that things would turn out this way" I confessed "How can something so beautiful be needed of me for such a selfish reason as to save myself? Why can't everything be _normal_?" I was in hysterics as I said this and without being able to control myself I ran away, away from that room, away from them, away from everything.

I knew it was unlike me to react that way but the emotions I was feeling mixed with the stress of the battle and my own weakness were weighting on me as of late, the added news making me a mess.

I ran without knowing where to go, heading for the gardens I found peaceful without meaning to. I stopped suddenly needing to catch my breath, my physical endurance gone after the battle. I was crying and had difficulty controlling my sobs, almost forgetting I wasn't the only one affected by this news. As if called by my own realization, Syaoran caught up to me with a worried expression on his face.

"Sakura... are you okay?"

"I don't know" I told him honestly as I dropped myself to the ground near a tree, trying to calm myself down. He took a seat next to me before speaking.

"You don't have to bear a child if you don't want to Sakura... perhaps there is another way... we just need to keep looking..."

"It's not that I don't want to be a mother eventually, it's just that it's too soon" I told him, blushing a little as I said so.

"I know... we will find a solution, we have to, I will do whatever it takes to protect you"

"What about you Syaoran? Are you okay with this?"

"I agree we are young but if that is what it takes to keep you alive I will do anything"

"Do you think there is a solution?"

"I don't know..." He answered, his eyes staring at some point in the distance as if losing himself in his own thoughts.

"If this is a vision like my dreams are to me... does it mean that this will happen regardless of what we want?" I asked him, interrupting his thoughts.

"It is possible..." He admitted "Do you dislike the idea that much?" He asked me, I could detect a hint of sadness in his voice.

"No" I admitted "It's just that I wish for things to happen with time, like it happens for others, you know... for _normal_ people" I finished, blushing yet again as I said so.

"We are not normal so it isn't really strange for things to be quite different for us... Sakura... I love you. Whether we are meant to join our lives today or in many years to come my feelings won't change. I will respect whichever decision you make and will do my best to find a way for you to be happy and live a long happy life"

"Syaoran... I love you too" It was the first time I said it and I felt liberated by the words. He made to grab me and moved me towards him, holding me in his arms after the words left my lips. I could tell he was very happy.

We stayed like that for some time, I had completely calmed down by the time we heard them, barely able to remove myself from his grasp before they found us in a compromising position. My father and Yelan were walking towards us most likely to continue were we had left of. Syaoran held my hand in support as we braced ourselves for what was to come.

"Sakura. I completely understand how difficult it is to come to terms with what you been told but we still have a matter to address" Yelan told me, her face serious.

"Now that you know everything, it may be wise to give you some time to think about your decision. Your father has given his permission for you to continue living here if you wish to do so or you may return with him to Japan. However, I think it would be best to keep in mind what you were told. If you decide to stay we will do things right so that the Clan supports what is sure to come. If you stay an official engagement is to take place."

"I of course give my blessing if you decide to do that Sakura" my father interjected "But as your father I will never force you to do anything you don't want to do, so if you want to come home with me we will do so... but as your father, I fear what could happen to you if you did..."

"Don't you think I am too young... to get married... to be a mother?" I asked him, still embarrassed by the conversation.

"I do admit you are young and I would have hoped that if this was to take place, you at least would be much older... however, your mother was also young when she married me. She was 16 years old then so I would never be opposed to this"

"I... I don't know what to do..." I told him, still confused with the situation.

"Why don't you both think about it since it affects the both of you? I will be here for another week before I have to return to work. You can tell me of your decision before then" My father told us and he and Syaoran's mother left.

Even though we didn't talk about it again for the rest of that day, I couldn't help but think about it the whole time. I could see myself living in China and having somewhat of a normal life with Syaoran. Perhaps we could return to school and do whatever it was teenagers do in their free time. Touya had said we had a few years of peace so maybe we could enjoy each other for a time before having to join our lives in that way. I was sure once I had a child I would no longer have the same freedoms so I was scared at the prospect. Was I ready? I wasn't too sure.

The next day I had woken up early, I really didn't get much sleep that night and could not relax with the many thoughts invading my mind. As I was leaving my room intent of going downstairs to get a bite to eat I almost jumped in surprise when I saw the face of my guardian looking back at me, impassive as usual with his aloof expression and arms crossed in front of him.

"Yue!" I chided "you scared me, where you waiting for me?"

"Yes, I wanted to talk to you mistress, is that okay?"

"Of course" I told him "Let's go outside and take a walk, I don't want to wake anyone up. He nodded in agreement and we made our way to the courtyard which had been renovated while I was unconscious. There was no longer any trace of the battle we had fought just over a month ago.

"What is it?" I asked him finally breaking the silence "Is something bothering you?"

"I can sense your emotions, I was worried"

"Ahh" I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding, I wasn't planning to share anything with anyone but I felt as if this was the right thing to do now that the opportunity presented itself, perhaps it could do me good to talk about it.

"I assume you know" I said.

"Yes, your brother told Yukito... I just don't understand why you are so worried"

"It's not an easy decision to make" I told him.

"Don you love him?" He asked bluntly.

"Yes... but..."

"Then I don't understand. If you are destined to be with him and you love him, why can't you marry? That is sure to not only bring you happiness but also save you."

"Yes, you are right... but if I do have a child and we don't find a solution then will I leave Syaoran, my child. and all of you behind?"

There, I had finally said it, the biggest fear of all, that even in doing what made sense my end was imminent and I will leave behind others just as my mother had done, just like she left me with a loneliness I will never get passed.

"I believe we will find a solution before your time is up" He told me "You have beat the odds time and time again, it is quite possible we will figure this out too, even if it takes us some time"

His words were comforting, it was true I needed to have more confidence in all of us including myself, perhaps the future didn't have to be that grim.

"Thank you Yue" He didn't say anything else but I knew he heard me. He left me in silence while I continued to think of his words.

Nobody pressed the issue with me that day either for what I was thankful. I was sure Kero and Syaoran's sisters did not know, otherwise I was sure they would have come to me already. By night I knew what to do and so I gathered my courage and went to him.

I knew he was giving me space as to not pressure me but I had missed him immensely. I knocked in his door softly, hoping he was awake and that no one else had heard me. He opened the door a few second later in alarm.

"Sakura?... are you okay?"

"Yes" I told him with a smile I knew he could not resist "Can I come in?" I asked as I looked both ways in the hall, making sure nobody saw me.

"Yes, of course" he said as he opened the door fully to let me in. I had never been in his room before but even if I had not known where it was, I could tell it was his as soon as I stepped inside. I could smell him all over the place, it was tidy and full of interesting objects that looked quite old, the green tones in the walls reminding me it was his favorite color. I sat on his bed and waited for him to join me.

"Syaoran, I am sorry... for reacting the way I did the other day, you know it isn't that I don't want to be with you... I just have so many fears"

"I know" he told me, trying to be understanding.

"You must have fears of your own too yet I only thought of me..." I continued "I have given it a lot of thought and well... I have decided... that if you will have me... I will be happy to be with you" I concluded in a whisper, my embarrassment showing. I was looking down afraid to look directly into his eyes, afraid of what he thought we should do and how my words may affect him. I didn't hear anything for some time which forced me to finally look at him and when I did he finally spoke.

"I wanted you to make your choice without me weighting on it, but to tell you the truth I was the one dying to say this" He opened a drawer from the table next to his bed and reached for a small box he presented to me before speaking once more.

"Sakura, I love you more than life itself, if you are okay with me, please allow me to be your husband, to devote myself to you forever and in return I promise I will try my best to make you happy each day of our lives together"

He said this as he opened the box revealing a beautiful golden ring with a diamond in the middle. "Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?" He asked, already on one knee in front of me. His eyes sparkling with hope.

I froze for a moment not believing this had happened "Yes" I told him, barely getting the word out in my excitement. He removed the ring from the box and placed it on my finger while lifting me from the bed and kissing me with such passion it made me dizzy. Our bodies so close I started to feel light headed, not wanting to let go. We were kissing each other so fervently, we only stopped for a second to catch our breaths and as we did so, Syaoran removed himself slowly from my body in embarrassment and turned away before apologizing "I am sorry" he told me "I didn't mean to act like a beast"

I approached him from behind and hugged him, my heart still beating very fast "No, it was definitely my fault too" I laughed "So... how long has this ring been there?" I asked him, unable to hold back a giggle.

"A while" he admitted, blushing.

I held his hand and led him back to his bed, not wanting to be away from him for one minute, consumed in my own happiness.

"Sakura... I don't think this is a good idea" He told me, I could tell he was very embarrassed too.

"I will be good, I promise... it's just that tonight is a special day and I want to be with you for as long as possible" He understood then, what I wanted, so we laid in bed for many more hours talking and laughing, holding each other until my lack of sleep claimed me. It had been a long time since I had a happy dream but that night I dreamed of our future, a future where we were happy.

...

 **Author's Note:**

Thank you for reading my story up to this point. This is essentially the end; however, I have another chapter in the works with an epilogue.

I did want to take a moment to clarify a few things. As you know I deviated somewhat from the manga and the reason for that is that the complexity of the plot CLAMP laid for us was too much for me. For example, I didn't include Nadeshiko's key which I am sure will be paramount to the development of the plot. I also found it challenging to include more dialogue and for the other characters to have more involvement. I never realized how difficult it was to include everyone so I am sorry for falling short on this aspect. Lastly, I hope my reasoning behind all the events that took place made sense and that all the loose ends were addressed, I did my best despite the challenge.

Now... I know you may be wondering why there is something else wrong happening to Sakura when we are nearing the end. I decided to include it because I wanted to explore the fact that the manga clearly states that powerful sorcerers are followed by calamity and it made sense to include her mother's death as a warning to that end. The epilogue will explore a bit more of this but will not necessarily include a whole new battle per say so this can be left open-ended for your imagination or perhaps a new adventure in the future.

With that said I hope my story didn't disappoint. Please leave me a review with your thoughts and opinions and a big thanks to all of you who took the time to review, follow the story or made it your favorite.


	13. The Meaning of Power

**Chapter 13**

The Meaning of Power

'No, absolutely NO, I don't agree with this!" Kero told us as we shared the news. He was throwing the biggest temper tantrum yet as he learned Syaoran and I were engaged and will marry soon.

Before I could try to buy my way out of this one with promises of delicious food and candy, Yue addressed him with a disapproving face.

"Don't you want our mistress to be happy?"

"Yes... but... but... why him?" He wined while pointing at Syaoran who just sighted in an attempt to hold his composure.

"Because I love him" I told him, making everyone blush with the bluntness of my declaration.

"Sakura! You will forget about me, I know it, he will take you away from us forever"

Now I understood what the real problem was.

"Kero, how could I ever forget about you? Don't you know I love you too?" I told him as I kissed his check, taking him completely by surprise. "You will stay with me right?" I asked him, knowing full well he will never leave me behind.

"I guess I can stay to protect you from the brat, you know... in case he can't keep his dirty hands to himself!" And there it went... temper tantrum not avoided.

"You will not do such a thing, that I will make sure of" Yue told him as he grabbed Kero and took off knowing if he didn't, Kero would continue his tantrum.

"Well... that was fun" Syaoran told me with a playful smile. We had dreaded the day we would tell him but since father was leaving the next day and he had noticed the ring on my finger we had to bring it up.

"He will understand...someday... I hope" I continued slowly as I imagined Kero being mean to him throughout the years, concluding that "hope" was all I could look forward to.

We had told our parents the next day after that night. They were happy with the decision and were supportive. I learned the ring I was given had been Yelan-sama's and she had given it to him to give to me when the time was right. An heirloom passed down from generation to generation which made it even more special.

We had talked about how long the engagement should be and decided in a year's time we would marry. I still thought it was too soon as Syaoran had just turned 15 and I was still 14 years old but it seemed the year timeline was needed.

My father returned to Japan as expected but Touya and Yukito stayed behind with me. I had told Yukito he could return to Japan if he wanted to with my brother but he insisted that Yue will never forgive him if he did and he told me that as long as Touya and I were here, then he was perfectly happy staying in China.

I had not forgotten my wish to free Yue from sharing a body with Yukito and I had spoken with Yelan-sama about it too. She did not know of a solution but recommended I focus on recovering my power first and regain control of all the cards as a first step. She even thought maybe using my power at my limit could allow me to perform a spell to do such thing and in turn give me a year or two of balanced power should Syaoran and I decide to wait even longer to have children.

I never liked talking about these children I didn't' yet have but I could tell the Li family was anxiously waiting for that to happen. They talked about it every chance they got, particularly Yelan-sama and Shiefa. Comments like "Wouldn't it be nice to have kids play in our garden" or "Feimei may decide to go study abroad... it's going to be lonely if she leaves, how I wish our family would be bigger already".

Syaoran and I always blushed when they made such comments and attempted to change the conversation as quickly as we could. We really had not talked about it much but I think we both knew we would wait after getting married before welcoming a new life into the world.

The engagement was announced to the whole family including the clan in a formal engagement a few weeks later. I felt out of place there but knew it had to happen, my solace was in seeing some old friends including serious Kong and agile Jeong. Ryu was there too and introduced me to his son An whom he had spoken tons of to me since we had met. I was happy they were fine and thankful for their help in our battle. I didn't forget to thank them and offered my help in the future should they ever need it.

Tomoyo came to see me that July as promised during her school break. She was inconsolable when she found out I was engaged and she had not been able to record it. We almost had to reenact the whole thing to stop her tears.

She also told me she will take care of my wedding dress and put herself to work from day one making me look through hundreds of magazines with various styles for me to pick from with customized ideas she had thought of for some time apparently. Tomoyo left just in time to get back to school. I had really enjoyed my time with her, I had missed her very much.

The months went by more quickly than I had expected. Not only due to the never-ending wedding planning but also due to the intense studying. My neglected studies did not go unnoticed and Yelan-sama pressed on me to continue and finish them ahead of time. That meant that I was in that library with my private tutor most of the day and to my dismay, Syaoran nowhere in sight. He had told me he needed to work on some research that was very important among other things so I did not see him as much. My magic had returned, albeit slowly, and I had taken possession of 15 cards so far.

I tried not to use the cards often, not because I didn't want to but because I feared I would gain more power. I was in no rush to become stronger as I knew my life depended on it. Yelan-sama told me I still needed to practice control but my fears were evident so I avoided it as much as possible. I must say feeling my emotions back in control helped not only with my well-being but with my magic use. Since the stress of the battle was no longer there and I was enjoying my relationship with Syaoran I felt happy most of the time. I was finding myself slowly.

In days that I could not see him I would always sneak into his bedroom at night to spend some time together. Our nights were innocent but very necessary to me, for my day to be complete. In one such night he told me he had been working with his mother as he intended to become the leader of his family and allow for his mother to retire. He had hoped he could do so after the wedding so he had been working hard to gain trust with the clan to take that position despite his young age. This didn't surprise me, Syaoran had become very strong too. It was no small feat to have maintained my cards for as long as he did while still helping me whenever he could through the capturing of the new cards and also through the battle with Yuna D. Kairo. I was confident the clan would see his growth and give him a chance regardless of his age.

Syaoran also told me about his research which included the collection of various reading materials recording the lives of great sorcerers in history besides Clow Reed. He thought perhaps there could a clue to lead us to the secret needed for me to control my magic so that I could live a long heathy life.

When he told me about these plans for taking over the Li family role and helping me stay alive realization hit me. I had not realized how many things he was shouldering on his own. I had been so busy with my own studies to notice.

"Syaoran, you need to rely on me more, I will be your wife soon you know?"

"I love the sound of that" he told me with a smile before continuing "I just don't want you to worry about anything"

"I can't be this doll unable to make any moves for fear of breaking... I am strong too, I need you to trust me" I pressed, I wanted him to know we were a team.

"It's not that I don't trust you, I am well aware of how strong you are Sakura, it's just that it's my job to protect you... correction... it makes me immensely happy to protect you" he confessed as he started to kiss me, all my complaints suddenly forgotten. He sure knew how to play dirty.

Life continued until the most anticipated day arrived. My family was there including father, my great grandfather and Tomoyo's mother. Tomoyo had helped me put on the dress she had created. It was a beautiful red fitted dress that hugged my curves while elegantly covering my body. She did my make up in a natural way yet highlighting my eyes and lips. My hair, much longer now that it had ever been, was pinned to my head in an elegant bun with flowers adorning it.

Tomoyo was in tears when she saw me ready, telling me how happy she was for me. The moment was interrupted by a soft knock on the door. My father was ready to come get me to start the ceremony. He also chocked up when he saw me, telling me I looked just like mother which in turn brought tears to my eyes. How I wish she were here sharing this day with me!

I didn't have to look at my reflection in the mirror to know I had grown a lot since arriving to China. My body becoming more feminine with the passing of each day. The same could be said about Syaoran, now 16 years old, standing tall and strong, ready to protect me against anything.

The memories of our first encounter played in my mind, we were 10 years old when we met. All the moments that led to us to become friends and his declaration of love a few years later. The confusion that followed, having had no experience in love yet soon enough understanding he was my special person. Now, our magic taking me to his home country, to this moment, where we joined our lives forever.

I was excited and nervous as my father walked me down the aisle to my soon to be husband who was waiting for me with a beautiful smile on his face. He always looked at me in such a special way, as if I was the only person that existed even in a room full of people, as if seeing me could bring joy even in a dark day.

The rest of the ceremony was a blur. I too could only see him. We were declared married sealing our promise to one another with a kiss. A big feast followed in which we celebrated our union with our families, friends, and the clan members.

I never wanted for this day to end. The happiness I felt threatening to spill over in my heart. I knew it then that good things would come our way because here surrounded by everyone I loved I felt the strongest. I had come to learn that power did not come from within, it came from the love I shared with all of them...love truly is the meaning of power.

 **THE END**

...

 **Author's Note**

This is it friends. I hope you liked it. If anybody is interested in exploring what could happen to Sakura and Syaoran after their marriage let me know, if there is enough support I may consider writing another short story with their new adventure in their lives together, perhaps with a few children to booth? Just let me know what you think, otherwise, I hope this story did the trick and gave you some closure like it did me writing it.


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